Media group criticises Arabsat anti-piracy event sponsorship

[Len]

The beIN Media Group has “strongly denounced” Arabsat’s sponsorship of the Mena Anti-Piracy Conference, taking place in Dubai today, in light of its “facilitation of satellite broadcasts by the notorious Saudi-based piracy network, cynically known as beoutQ”.
Since October 2017, the beoutQ pirates have been selling subscriptions to 10 satellite channels carrying premium live sports content stolen from beIN and other broadcasters, beIN Media Group has said in a statement.
The beoutQ set-top boxes are being openly sold in retail outlets across Saudi Arabia and other countries, and the packaging and promotional materials for the set-top boxes explicitly advertise the availability of pirated premium sports content.
Since February 2018, the beoutQ pirates have gone even further, distributing an illegal IPTV app that provides access to hundreds of pirated channels from around the world.
The content includes not only beIN channels, but also other major global channels, covering sports, Hollywood movies, television shows, and other entertainment content.
“This is a very serious development for all content owners in the Mena region, since it is leading to a high penetration and awareness of pirated IPTV services, which are a huge threat to our industry,” the statement noted.
Severy rights holders including beIN have written to Arabsat on numerous occasions, providing evidence that beoutQ is using Arabsat frequencies, and asking it to take down the beoutQ channels.
Arabsat has refused this request and simply denies liability, beIN states, adding: “By sponsoring the Mena Anti-Piracy Conference, Arabsat is presenting itself as a responsible satellite operator, concerned with combating broadcast piracy.
“Yet, at the same time, Arabsat is refusing to take any steps to bring an end to this piracy, which is causing immeasurable harm to broadcasters and rights owners in the Mena region.
“Arabsat’s sponsorship of this anti-piracy event is indefensible, and makes a mockery of the conference.
The beIN Media Group again calls on Arabsat to immediately cease making its facilities available to beoutQ.
The beIN Media Group has also written to the conference organisers to make them aware of the situation and demanded that Arabsat’s sponsorship be cancelled.