May 30 – The Qatar-based beIN Media Group, the biggest sports broadcaster in the region, has urged FIFA to take legal action against what it called pirate broadcasters in Saudi Arabia ahead of the World Cup.
BeIN has the rights to broadcast all 64 matches from Russia across the Middle East and North Africa but claims this is being undermined by pirate broadcasters operating out of its much larger neighbour.
The row is a direct result of the damaging ongoing diplomatic and trade rift between Qatar and several Arab countries, most notably Saudi Arabia. Shortly after the dispute started the Saudis stopped existing customers from paying subscriptions to the channel.
According to BeIn, Arabsat facilitates satellite broadcasts by the notorious Saudi-based piracy network known as ‘beoutQ’.
“We have requested FIFA to take direct legal action against Arabsat and the indications we have show that they are behind that,” general counsel of beIN Sophie Jordan told AFP. “We have asked FIFA to put direct pressure on the pirates” adding that the pirates had “big plans for the World Cup.”
In response, FIFA told AFP: “FIFA is working with its various partners to minimize issues relating to the infringement of its rights in the MENA region.”
BeIN claims that since last October, beoutQ – using a signal from Riyadh-based satellite provider Arabsat – had been illegally transmitting its broadcasts. Such transmissions had appeared in Morocco, Jordan and Syria, beIN said.
Tom Keaveny, beIN’s managing director in the MENA region, called it a “full piracy operation” that is heavily funded.
The broadcaster has also called on UEFA to go to court after it said last weekend’s Champions League final was also broadcast illegally by beoutQ.
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