Al-Jazeera launches 24-hour sports news channel

DOHA, Qatar - The Al-Jazeera TV network has launched the Middle East's first 24-hour sports news channel.

In the past years, the Qatar-based broadcaster has become the largest holder of sports rights in the Middle East. It has been screening the world's major sporting events around the region, including the football World Cup, Champions League matches and the ATP and WTA tournaments across the Middle East and North Africa on the network's 18 sports channels with commentary in Arabic, English and French.

The Al-Jazeera Sport news channel will be dedicated to reporting sports news and analysis in Arabic, the network said in a statement Tuesday.

The channel's general manager, Nasser bin Ghanem al-Khelaifi, said the aim is to "uncover the ins and outs of everything that surrounds and affects sports, quickly, accurately and around the clock."