Arabsat has condemned a report claiming it is behind pirate channel BeoutQ after a French court dismissed a case brought against the Saudi broadcaster by beIN SPORTS.  

For almost two years, beIN SPORTS has been attempting to fight against BeoutQ, which has impinged on the Qatar-based broadcaster’s lucrative TV rights deals by airing sports matches and events across the Middle East via a satellite and streaming service.

Qatar pointed the finger of blame at Arabsat and a report commissioned by a number of leading football federations corroborated that position earlier this week.

FIFA, the AFC, UEFA, the Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A, LFP and the Premier League issued a joint statement claiming that ArabSat was facilitating BeoutQ but the Saudi company has issued a firm rebuttal.

“Arabsat, while rejecting the allegations made against it, deeply regrets irresponsible statements made by FIFA and other federations which contain disgraceful repetitions of the beIN network’s claims.

“Arabsat warns against inaccurate media statements and reports in the face of final court rulings. Based on its belief in the rule of law, Arabsat will not engage in any media war with any entity regarding this subject.”

The latest ruling by a French court appeared to support Arabsat’s position, with the company claiming a victory in the wake of the decision.

“Arabsat is pleased to announce a new ruling by another independent French court upholding the previous ruling which dismissed all claims by beIN SPORTS against the organisation and rejecting an appeal attempt by beIN,” an official statement said.

“In addition to welcoming the new favorable ruling by another French court, ArabSat would also like to confirm receiving unprecedented financial compensation from beIN SPORTS network, which was imposed by the court.”