BeIN

ViacomCBS picks up 49% of Miramax

ViacomCBS has reached a deal with beIN Media to acquire 49% of Miramax. Under the terms of the deal, beIN will retain a 51% stake in Miramax and the studio’s leadership team will remain the same. ViacomCBS will acquire the stake for a total investment of US$375 million, with an initial upfront cash payment of […]

BeIN announces launch of free channel beIN Sports Xtra

Qatar’s beIN Sports has announced the US launch of beIN Sports Xtra. The free English-language channel will offer live sports, news, analysis and highlights that promises to “bring viewers closer to the game”. Launching initially on the Roku Channel, the company said that of beIN Sports Xtra will utilise its existing English and Spanish feed […]

beoutQ HQ identified in news programme

The location of pirate outfit beoutQ’s headquarters has been located. As a part of its news show What Lies Beneath, journalists at Al Jazeera detailed how Slevision and Shammas – two Saudi service providers – are involved in operations carried out by beoutQ.  The pirate broadcaster has been widely condemned by governments and sports bodies […]

WTO meets with Qatari delegation over beoutQ piracy

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has met with the piracy victims of alleged-Saudi affiliated beoutQ. The WTO dispute settlement panel had two days of meetings with a Qatari delegation, with the latter arguing that the Saudi government has failed to protect intellectual property rights consistent with the WTO’s Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property […]

Africa’s football body condemns beoutQ

Africa’s equivalent to UEFA, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), has come out strongly against beoutQ. The alleged Saudi-backed pirate network has recently been denounced by FIFA and Arabsat was found to be distributing the channel by a French court.  Now, with the African Cup of Nations reaching its final stages, CAF has issued a […]

BeIn lays off 300 staff, blames beoutQ

Qatari BeIn Media has announced the layoff of 300 members of staff, specifically blaming the piracy of alleged Saudi-backed BeoutQ. The figure represents 18% of its total staff in the country. The layoffs were confirmed to Bloomberg from an unnamed source, who said that the company had made “difficult decisions to right-size our business”. It […]

FIFA denounces beoutQ

Football’s international governing body, FIFA, has publicly denounced alleged Saudi-backed pirate broadcaster beoutQ. The news comes shortly after a French court ruled that Arabsat had been distributing the channel. In a statement, FIFA said: “FIFA is aware that unauthorised transmissions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™️ are being made available across the MENA region, […]

Arabsat is distributing beoutQ, French court rules

A French court has ruled that Saudi Arabia satellite provider Arabsat has been distributing alleged Saudi Arabia-backed pirate operation beoutQ. The case was brought forward by Qatari beIN Media Group, which was the original target of beoutQ’s piracy operation as a part of an ongoing trade dispute between the two nations. Arabsat has denied any […]

UK MPs raise piracy concerns against beoutQ

BeoutQ, the allegedly Saudia Arabia-backed pirate TV network, has been slammed by members of the UK’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee. In a parliamentary session on May 10, Jeremy Wright QC, DCMS secretary of state, responded to a question from Giles Watling MP, confirming that a number of UK government departments are […]

Digital TV Research: MENA pay TV impacted by BeIN dispute

Pay TV revenues have declined in the Middle East and North Africa over the past two years thanks in to piracy, competition from OTT providers, falling revenue per user, and the Saudi-led ban on BeIN Media. This according to Digital TV Research’s latest ‘Middle East and North Africa Pay TV Forecasts’ report, which said that […]

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