FIFA, UEFA collectively condemn pirate channel beoutQ

Several football governing bodies issued a joint statement to collectively condemn the theft of their intellectual property by channel beoutQ, which carried pirated broadcasts of global sports events to which beIN Sports held the rights.

World soccer governing body FIFA, continental bodies UEFA and AFC, and major European soccer leagues have called on authorities in Saudi Arabia to take action.

Several football governing bodies issued a joint statement on Wednesday to collectively condemn the theft of their intellectual property by channel beoutQ, which carried pirated broadcasts of global sports events to which Qatar-based broadcaster beIN Sports held the rights.

World soccer governing body FIFA, continental bodies UEFA and AFC, and major European soccer leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A came forward and called on authorities in Saudi Arabia (KSA) to take action.

“Since May 2018, we have collectively been working with an international legal counsel to monitor and compile evidence against beoutQ, whose broadcasts are regularly and on an industrial scale made available on an illegal basis,” the statement read.