According to The Guardian, the World Trade Organization has ruled that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is behind pirate satellite TV service beoutQ, dealing a huge blow on Public Investment Fund’s chances of buying Newcastle United.
BeoutQ offers illegal access to sporting events, including the English Premier League, and digital piracy remains highly prohibited.
Consortiums looking to buy English top-flight clubs must not provide false, misleading or inaccurate information according to the Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ test, and having denied owning BeoutQ, PIF risk missing out on buying Newcastle after the WTO proved that Saudi indeed owns the satellite TV.
Nevertheless, The Telegraph’s Jason Burt believes that the £300 million takeover will go through eventually, with The Guardian journalist that reported the story also backing him up.
The Guardian story is written very strongly tonight and @seaningle is an excellent reporter. My latest understanding is, though, to still expect the Newcastle United takeover to – eventually – go ahead but, blimey, I have rarely dealt with something as complicated as this.
— Jason Burt (@JBurtTelegraph) May 26, 2020
Wouldn’t shock me if you are right … and agree it’s a fascinating case whatever happens next (and thanks for the nice words)
— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) May 26, 2020
Piracy is frowned at by the Premier League, and Qatar-based broadcaster and English football’s biggest overseas broadcast partner beIN Sports has already written to the EPL and its 20 clubs to block the proposed takeover.
The TV giants’ three-year deal with the top-flight is worth £500 million to the clubs, and beoutQ’s illegal services have seen beIN Sports run into several losses.
