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England’s Premier League has appointed legal counsel to take action in Saudi Arabia against illegal pirate channel “beoutQ”. The channel has been accused by world soccer’s governing body FIFA, tennis ruling bodies and other sports organisations of illegally airing content, whose exclusive TV rights in the Middle East belong to Qatar-based broadcaster beIN Sport.
BeIn Sports has the rights to broadcast the Premier League and other sports competitions in the Middle East and North Africa. “The League has already appointed legal counsel in Saudi Arabia to begin the process of bringing action against the parties involved in this piracy,” the Premier League said in a statement on Friday. “We have also made representations through the Sports Rights Owners Coalition to the European Commission and made the UK government aware of the issue,” it said, describing the broadcasts as “highly organised and sophisticated illegal broadcast piracy.”
BeoutQ emerged in 2017 after Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar, accusing the tiny Gulf state of supporting terrorism, which Doha denies. BeoutQ is widely available in Saudi Arabia. But Riyadh says it is not based there and that the authorities are committed to fighting piracy, including announcing the confiscation of 12,000 pirating devices last June. It is unclear who owns or operates the channel.
BeIn Sports has the rights to broadcast the Premier League and other sports competitions in the Middle East and North Africa. “The League has already appointed legal counsel in Saudi Arabia to begin the process of bringing action against the parties involved in this piracy,” the Premier League said in a statement on Friday. “We have also made representations through the Sports Rights Owners Coalition to the European Commission and made the UK government aware of the issue,” it said, describing the broadcasts as “highly organised and sophisticated illegal broadcast piracy.”
BeoutQ emerged in 2017 after Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar, accusing the tiny Gulf state of supporting terrorism, which Doha denies. BeoutQ is widely available in Saudi Arabia. But Riyadh says it is not based there and that the authorities are committed to fighting piracy, including announcing the confiscation of 12,000 pirating devices last June. It is unclear who owns or operates the channel.