The Ministry of Media welcomes today’s announcement by FIFA that it has engaged local counsel to take legal action in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to combat the pirate entity named beoutQ, which continues its illegal piracy of 2018 FIFA World Cup™ broadcasts. Doing so will supplement the relentless efforts by the KSA Ministry of Commerce and Investment in combatting beoutQ’s activities and beIN’s illegal broadcasting within the country. These efforts and others reinforce the Government of Saudi Arabia’s devotion to protecting intellectual property (IP) rights within KSA.
While beoutQ‘s pirate broadcasts have been available in KSA, we understand that its set-top boxes are also available in, and its pirate broadcasts are targeted at, other nations in the Middle East - North Africa region (MENA), including Qatar and Eastern Europe. Nevertheless, irresponsible media reports have falsely and unfairly connected KSA with beoutQ’s piracy.
The Ministry of Media understands that such false and unfair connections are the work of beIN Sports, a subsidiary of the Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera) that has maliciously orchestrated a media smear campaign against KSA. beIN Sports purports to be the exclusive licensee of FIFA and other content owners for KSA and other other MENA region countries. KSA banned Al Jazeera because it is Qatar’s principal media arm for supporting terrorism and promoting instability in the region. Its network provides a media platform for terrorists to propagate their violent message. KSA was compelled to ban broadcasts by beIN Sports in KSA for the same reason and for beIN’s numerous legal violations in Saudi.
The [Ministry of Media] further believes that beIN Sports engineered its media smear campaign against KSA to deflect attention away from scandals and threats that beIN Sports now faces. For example, beIN Sports – along with its chairman and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and FIFA former secretary general Jerome Valcke – is a subject of an ongoing criminal bribery, fraud, criminal mismanagement and forgery investigation instigated by the Office of Attorney General in Switzerland. The alleged criminal activity relates to FIFA’s award of media rights for certain countries for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. Further, although beIN Sports claims to employ state-of-the-art anti-piracy technology, beoutQ’s ability to overcome such technology with ease provides motivation for beIN Sports to seek others to blame, rather than taking responsibility for its own technological shortcomings.
The Ministry of Media has become aware of irresponsible accusations made in a Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) press release regarding an entity known as beoutQ. UEFA baselessly claims that beoutQ “is based in Saudi Arabia.” The Ministry of Media unequivocally rejects this claim. The Ministry of Media understands that beoutQ’s set-top boxes are available in many places, including Qatar and Eastern Europe. Moreover, UEFA’s irresponsible statement is contrary to what is occurring in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Through its Ministry of Commerce and Investment, KSA has relentlessly combatted beoutQ’s activities within the country. For instance, the Ministry of Commerce and Investment has seized thousands of set-top boxes that would otherwise be used to violate intellectual property (IP) in KSA. The Government of Saudi Arabia is and will remain devoted to protecting IP rights within the country.
The Ministry of Media is informed that beIN Sports is the source of UEFA’s reckless allegation. beIN Sports is a subsidiary of the Al Jazeera Media Network (Al Jazeera). KSA banned Al Jazeera’s broadcasts in KSA starting in June 2017. Al Jazeera is Qatar’s principal media arm for supporting terrorism and promoting instability in the region. Al Jazeera provides a media platform for terrorists to propagate their violent message. KSA has also banned broadcasts by beIN Sports in Saudi Arabia for the same reason. Al Jazeera’s response to the ban was to escalate its campaign of defamation against KSA.
While beIN Sports’ broadcasts, too, have long been used as vehicles for offensive anti-Saudi invective, beIN Sports has amplified its offensive propaganda during the World Cup 2018 – which is ironic because the World Cup is supposed to be a demonstration how football can bring nations together in harmony. During the World Cup, beIN has defamed the Saudi Football Federation, insulted Saudi Arabia and its fans and has politicised the World Cup platform in violation of all rules and codes of conduct. For these reasons Al Jazeera and subsidiary beIN will never broadcast in Saudi Arabia.
The Ministry of Media accordingly urges that responsible news organisations view the reckless press release by UEFA, as well as beIN Sports’ other unsubstantiated allegations, with suspicion.
KSA reiterates its calls to FIFA (and other rights holders) to distance themselves from beIN Sports and find alternative licensees for broadcasting sports in MENA. In KSA at least, Al Jazeera, beIN Sports and their affiliates will never be permitted to broadcast again.
Finally, KSA is governed by, observes and respects the rule of law. If FIFA has legitimate claims supported by reliable evidence, it can expect to receive justice at the hands of the independent courts of our nation consistent with KSA law.
