The Premier League has confirmed it will take action against a ‘pirate’ Saudi Arabian broadcaster that has been relaying its matches without permission.
In a statement the Premier League describes beoutQ as a “highly sophisticated pirate operation”.
All 20 Premier League matches played during the first two weekends of the season were broadcast illegally on the channel. The content, taken from operators licensed to distribute the matches, is then broadcast from satellite provider Arabsat.
A Premier League spokesperson said: “The Premier League has written to the European Commission as part of the Sports Rights Owners Coalition. This is just one of the measures we are taking to address this very serious issue.
“We operate a significant anti-piracy programme in a range of countries to protect the copyright of the League and our clubs. Like all content creators and rights owners, our business model is predicated on the ability to market and sell protected rights and we will take all available action to support the investment made in the League by our legitimate broadcast partners.”
beIN Media Group is the rights holder for the Premier League across the Middle East
and North Africa (MENA).
