Tuesday 16 June 2020

WTO piracy ruling raises new doubt over #Saudi takeover of Newcastle | Financial Times

WTO piracy ruling raises new doubt over Saudi takeover of Newcastle | Financial Times:

The £300m Saudi Arabia-led takeover of Newcastle United football club faces renewed scrutiny after the World Trade Organization ruled the Gulf kingdom was responsible for television piracy including the improper screening of English Premier League matches.

The Saudi government had “infringed” international trade agreements because of the country’s involvement with beoutQ, an Arabic language network, the WTO said on Tuesday in a ruling that capped an 18-month legal case.

Qatar had brought the WTO case, arguing beoutQ was streaming content rightfully owned by beIN Sports, a Doha-based broadcaster that has paid billions of dollars for exclusive rights to major sporting events.

The judgment complicates the Newcastle takeover, which is led by the Public Investment Fund, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund steered by the country’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

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