beIN renews Saudi piracy attack
July 30, 2020
By Colin Mann
Qatar broadcaster beIN MEDIA has stepped up its attack on what it considers Saudi-led piracy of its copyrighted content, in particular alluding to the potential takeover of English Premier League football club Newcastle United.
In a series of tweets, beIN notes that “having spent the past six weeks telling the world how the WTO ruling was a ‘complete vindication of the Kingdom’, curiously Saudi Arabia is now appealing a case they say they emphatically won”.
“Rather than positively complying with international law, since June Saudi Arabia has lied to Governments and rights-holders across world sport about the WTO ruling; it has said the Premier League, FIFA and UEFA sent their legal case to the wrong Saudi email address 9 times,” it adds.
“It has permanently banned the Premier League’s broadcast partner meaning the only way to watch premium sport is via piracy; and now it is appealing a WTO decision that they said they won,” it continues.
“All the while, Saudi Arabia is essentially trying to pass an honesty and an anti-piracy test under the Premier League’s rules, and gain the trust of the international sports community,” it concludes.