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Qatar’s Saudi Spat Imperils Global Sports Broadcaster

  • Pay-TV network blames Saudis for ’industrial level’ piracy
  • FIFA says it has begun to prepare legal action in Saudi Arabia
BeIN Sports television channel microphones during a soccer game. 

BeIN Sports television channel microphones during a soccer game. 

Photographer: Jean- Christophe Verhaegen/AFP via Getty Images

The world’s biggest sports rights holder, BeIN Corp., says it will spend less to broadcast major competitions unless the industry does more to stop a rival network stealing its content.

The Qatar-based pay-TV company says the competing outfit, known as BeoutQ, is backed by Qatar’s regional rival Saudi Arabia, which is waging a diplomatic and trade war against its small Gulf Arab neighbor. The Saudi government denies having any links to BeoutQ.