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The Premier League and its clubs have been called to block the takeover of Saudi Arabia-backed Newcastle United by its foreign television partner beIN Sports.
Newcastle is about to be sold to a sovereign wealth fund, which involves Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a deal worth more than £ 300m.
The Magpies could be in the hands of the consortium, involving financier Amanda Staveley in the next three weeks if the Premier League gives its approval.
But the Qatar-based broadcaster has said Saudi Arabia should be held accountable for its involvement in a pirated television network, which illegally broadcasts Premier League matches.
The Premier League has been among several organizations and government agencies that have asked Saudi Arabia’s state satellite operator Arabsat to stop providing a platform for a pirated network that they say was “abusing” the sport.
The network, called beoutQ, began broadcasting sporting events illegally in 2017.
(Image: PA)
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Repeated attempts by the governing bodies of sport and rights holders have done little to stop piracy.
Last July, the Premier League said it had spoken to nine law firms in Saudi Arabia that either refused to act or refused themselves when asked about filing a copyright complaint against beoutQ.
BeIN Sports is the Premier League’s largest overseas broadcast partner, with its latest television deal worth £ 500 million over three years.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Yousef al-Obaidly, executive director of beIN, wrote to all 20 Premier League clubs and also requested the executive director of the governing bodies, Richard Masters.
“The danger of permitting the acquisition of a controlling or material interest (whether acquired directly or indirectly) in a major Premier League club by what is effectively the Saudi Arabian government cannot be ignored given the country’s past and continued illegal actions and their direct impact on the business interests of the Premier League, its member clubs, its broadcast partners and football in general.
“As a longtime partner and big investor in the Premier League, we urge you to carefully consider all the implications of doing so.”
(Image: NurPhoto / PA Images)
He adds: “The legacy of the illegal service will continue to impact the future.
“When the Premier League season begins again in the coming months, all content on the league’s broadcasters will continue to be available immediately and illegally through the IPTV streaming functionality on the beoutQ set-top boxes that were sold on significant amounts in Saudi Arabia Arabia and the broader MENA region (Middle East and North Africa).
“Furthermore, given the crippling economic effect that the coronavirus is taking place in the sports industry – this is all happening at a time when football clubs need to further protect their broadcast revenue. ”
In the separate letter sent to Masters, Al-Obaidly requests the League to apply the Owners and Directors Test, taking into account “Saudi Arabia’s direct role in launching, promoting and operating the beoutQ service.”
In a letter seen by The Times, he states: “It is not an exaggeration to say that the future economic model of soccer is at stake.
“The danger of permitting the acquisition of a controlling or material interest (whether acquired directly or indirectly) in a major Premier League club by what is effectively the Saudi Arabian government cannot be ignored given the country’s past and continued illegal actions and their direct impact on the business interests of the Premier League, its member clubs, its broadcast partners and football in general.
“As a long-time partner and major investor in the Premier League, we urge you to carefully consider all the implications of doing so.
“The apparent involvement in the NUFC acquisition of the country’s leading sovereign wealth fund which for nearly three years has openly facilitated the operation of the largest and most sophisticated sports piracy service ever seen, beoutQ, is of great concern to us.”
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been at the center of a political dispute since 2017.
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