WTO Ruling Against Saudis Clouds Prospects for U.K. Soccer Deal
- Saudis obstructed criminal proceedings in TV piracy case: WTO
- Dispute arose after Saudi-led nations severed ties with Qatar
Joelinton of Newcastle United heads the ball during a match between West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United on March 3.
Photographer: Nathan Stirk/Getty ImagesA World Trade Organization finding that Saudi Arabia broke intellectual-property rules when it failed to crack down on pirated Qatari television broadcasts could hurt the kingdom’s effort to buy a major U.K. soccer team, and may even have implications for U.S. tariffs.
Qatar, boycotted by a Saudi-led Arab alliance since 2017, brought the case against the kingdom over satellite broadcaster and streaming service beoutQ. The Saudi government denies links to beoutQ, but on Tuesday a WTO panel found the company operated under Saudi jurisdiction and retransmitted content produced by Qatar-based sports broadcaster BeIN Media Group LLC.