Premier League needs to block Saudi Newcastle deal over piracy, claims Yousef al-Obaidly
CEO of beIN Sports Yousef al-Obaidly has asked the Premier League to block Newcastle United’s takeover by a Saudi backed consortium over piracy concerns. The Magpies are being sold by current owner Mike Ashley to a sovereign wealth fund which involves Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The fee has been touted to be around the £300 million mark and reports indicated that Ashley brought it down from his initial asking rate of around £340 million pounds. Either way, the Sports Direct owner will be making a profit on the club he bought more than a decade ago and reports have revealed that the new owners are keen to make dramatic changes to the club. That includes making them a power in the Premier League with reported moves for Edinson Cavani and Mauricio Pochettino.
However, the deal could be stopped in its tracks as the Guardian has reported that Qatar based broadcaster beIN Sports is looking to put a halt to the deal. In a letter sent to the Premier League, CEO of beIN Sports Yousef al-Obaidly has reportedly written to the Premier League to stop the deal over piracy concerns. The chief executive of beIN also added that there is a chance that the Newcastle takeover is being used to cover up other things.
“The legacy of the illegal service will continue to impact you going forward. When the Premier League season re-commences in the coming months, all of the league’s broadcasters’ content will continue to be readily and illegally available via the IPTV streaming functionality on the beoutQ set-top-boxes which were sold in significant quantities in Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA [Middle East and North Africa] region,” the letter revealed reported the Guardian.
“Furthermore – given the crippling economic effect that coronavirus is having on the sports industry – this is all happening at a time when football clubs need to protect their broadcast revenue the most,” Yousef al-Obaidly’s letter further added.
0
0
0
0
0
0
Comments
Sign up or log in to your account to leave comments and reactions
0 Comments