DOHA: In response to the extraordinary announcement by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Tuesday that it will live-stream matches featuring Saudi Arabian clubs in the AFC Asian Champions League for free into Saudi Arabia on the AFC’s own digital channels, Qatari broadcaster beIN Sports announced it would launch a major international legal dispute against the football’s Asian governing body for material breach of its multi-million dollar broadcast agreement.
The latest flashpoint comes just weeks before the AFC elects its new president, with one of the three candidates being Qatar’s Saoud al-Mohannadi, AFP reports.
The Doha-based sports broadcasting giant has held a contract with the AFC since 2013 to cover Champions League games as well as the Asian Cup tournament.
A beIN spokesman told the newswire that the sportscaster spends around $38 million (33 million euros) a year on the contract, which is up for renewal in 2020.
beIN accused the AFC of acting in consort with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), stating: “In what is a clear political move by the AFC seemingly in full collaboration with SAFF (which pre-emptively announced the AFC’s plans 24 hours earlier), the confederation’s decision undermines the central condition of its regional broadcast agreement with beIN, namely the grant of exclusive rights. beIN is immediately set to launch international legal proceedings against the AFC as a result. beIN will continue to broadcast all its rights, including all AFC tournaments and matches, on its channels across the MENA region.
“In caving into Saudi Arabia’s illegal actions against beIN and effectively endorsing Saudi Arabia’s notorious ongoing piracy operation beoutQ, the AFC is not only in material breach of its multi-million dollar broadcast agreement with beIN, but its actions threaten the business model that sports rights holders all around the world rely on.
“beIN has been the long-standing broadcast partner of the AFC in the MENA region and other territories for nearly 10 years, being one of the most significant revenue streams for the AFC and helping to fund and support the rapid development of Asian football during that time. Every game of the AFC’s flagship global tournament in January this year – the 2019 AFC Asian Cup featuring 24 national teams across Asia – was broadcast illegally on beoutQ, which Saudi Arabia has developed into the most sophisticated illegal broadcaster in history, inserting its own logos and branding; selling subscriptions; carrying separate advertising; and even adding its own commentary.”
beIN has held a contract with the AFC since 2013 to cover Champions League games as well as the Asian Cup tournament.
This will not be the first legal action threatened by the sportscaster.
Last October it launched a $1-billion compensation claim against Saudi broadcasters over the issue of piracy.
