NBCUniversal’s Telemundo unit, which holds the Spanish-language rights to the 2018 World Cup in the US, has slammed Saudi Arabia’s BeoutQ for content piracy.
Pirate network BeoutQ stands accused of illegally taking Telemundo’s live feed and distributing it in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
“We take intellectual property infringement seriously,” NBCUniversal said, adding that it is working with international football’s governing body FIFA to protect its rights.
NBCUniversal paid FIFA a reported US$600 million for the American Spanish language rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments.
Telemondo is not alone in its complaints. MENA-wide broadcaster beIN Media claims BeoutQ has been tapping its live feeds since last August. beIN Media holds the regional rights to the World Cup, as well as other premium football competitions including the English Premier League, Spain’s LaLiga, Germany’s Bundesliga, and UEFA Champions League.
UK-based Eleven Sports has also said its live coverage of certain sporting events have been pirated by BeoutQ.
The pirate channel has emerged as a result of the year-long political dispute in which four states – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and UAE – cut diplomatic relations with Qatar over alleged support for terrorism in the region. Qatar, which funds beIN Media, vehemently denies the accusation.
As well as subscription access coverage, beIN Media is now offering free-to-air all the World Cup matches featuring regional representatives Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia . The matches can be watched live via satellite or – in the case of the latter two countries and Lebanon – through sub licensing agreements with public broadcasters.
“We take intellectual property infringement seriously,” NBCUniversal said, adding that it is working with international football’s governing body FIFA to protect its rights.
NBCUniversal paid FIFA a reported US$600 million for the American Spanish language rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments.
Telemondo is not alone in its complaints. MENA-wide broadcaster beIN Media claims BeoutQ has been tapping its live feeds since last August. beIN Media holds the regional rights to the World Cup, as well as other premium football competitions including the English Premier League, Spain’s LaLiga, Germany’s Bundesliga, and UEFA Champions League.
UK-based Eleven Sports has also said its live coverage of certain sporting events have been pirated by BeoutQ.
The pirate channel has emerged as a result of the year-long political dispute in which four states – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and UAE – cut diplomatic relations with Qatar over alleged support for terrorism in the region. Qatar, which funds beIN Media, vehemently denies the accusation.
As well as subscription access coverage, beIN Media is now offering free-to-air all the World Cup matches featuring regional representatives Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia . The matches can be watched live via satellite or – in the case of the latter two countries and Lebanon – through sub licensing agreements with public broadcasters.
