The figure is up from more than 55 at the start of last season. It comes even as the league’s overall international count fell, from a record 135 players last season to 125 this year.

The renewal deepens a partnership that stretches back nearly two decades and hands beIN continued control of a marquee live-sports property at a moment when premium media rights are tightening across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

The program, called Dribble for Peace, forms part of the broader Built Within project launched in 2021 by Giants of Africa. The initiative aims to build 100 community basketball courts across the continent, with 45 courts already completed across 13 countries.