The Saudi General Commission for Audiovisual Media refuted on Friday allegations made by Europe’s football governing body UEFA about a pirated channel called "beoutQ" that is claimed to be based in the Kingdom, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
The Commission confirmed that such serious claims and allegations were baseless.
In its statement, the Commission clarified that it is well known that beoutQ receiver sets are available in many countries, including Qatar and Eastern Europe.
It stressed that the government of Saudi Arabia, including the Ministry of Trade and Investment, is working tirelessly to combat the activity of beoutQ within the country. Further stating that the UEFA claims suggest that Saudi Arabia does not protect property rights within its territory.
The statement stressed that this is not true, and it only aims to defame the Kingdom, continued SPA.
The Commission called on UEFA to immediately issue an apology and review its statement to rectify this allegation and inform media outlets that published its claims.
It also advised UEFA against believing any allegations by the beIN Sports network and all of its affiliates without verifying them.
The Saudi Ministry of Media banned Al Jazeera’s broadcast in the Kingdom in June 2017. Al Jazeera is Qatar’s principal media arm for supporting terrorism and promoting instability in the region. It provides a platform for terrorists to propagate their message of violence and extremism.
Saudi Arabia has also banned broadcasts by beIN Sports in the Kingdom for the same reason and for violating Saudi laws, including failure to obtain necessary broadcasting licenses.
Al Jazeera’s response to the ban was to escalate its campaign of defamation against Saudi Arabia.
While broadcasts by beIN Sports have also long been used as vehicles for offensive anti-Saudi propaganda, beIN Sports has amplified its campaign during the World Cup 2018 - which is ironic because the World Cup is supposed to be a demonstration of how football can bring nations together in harmony.
It explained that during the World Cup coverage, beIN has defamed the Saudi Football Federation, insulted Saudi Arabia and its fans and politicized the World Cup platform in violation of all rules and codes of conduct. For those reasons, Al Jazeera and its subsidiary beIN, will not be broadcast in Saudi Arabia, the Commission stated.
The Commission pointed out that the UEFA statement squandered the values that it hopes to uphold and achieve by granting regional transmission rights to beIN Sports. If UEFA desires to broadcast in Saudi Arabia, it should find a partner that is not affiliated to the beIN Sports network and the Al Jazeera Media Network.
The Commission confirmed that Saudi Arabia reserves full legal rights and means to follow up on this matter and to follow up on other defamatory statements issued by UEFA.
