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Soccer fans in Saudi Arabia have been unable to legally watch World Cup matches, after restrictions were placed on the Qatar-owned platform that holds the exclusive regional broadcasting rights.
It’s unclear why the kingdom — which is preparing to host the 2034 World Cup — has blocked access. BeIN, the Qatar-owned network, hasn’t been available in Saudi Arabia since the tournament began last month. Its streaming service, TOD, is also inaccessible inside Saudi Arabia. The sports network holds the rights to air the World Cup across 24 countries in the Middle East.
The ban has pushed many fans in Saudi Arabia toward unauthorized streaming sites and VPNs. Some cafes and cinemas have also shown matches, although it’s unclear how they are accessing the broadcast.
Saudi Arabia’s Center for International Communications and football’s world governing body FIFA didn’t respond to requests for comment. A BeIN spokesperson declined to comment.
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Saudi Arabia had previously blocked BeIN between 2017 and 2021, as part of its boycott of Qatar. During that period, a pirate network called BeoutQ — reportedly with connections to former Saudi officials — retransmitted BeIN’s sports coverage, prompting legal action; the case was dropped following a diplomatic reconciliation in 2021.
Access to BeIN was restored in October 2021, but TOD was blocked again ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after Saudi authorities said it violated local regulations.
The World Cup is the world’s most-watched sporting event, with broadcasting rights worth billions of dollars. This has helped fuel piracy networks that restream matches over the internet, with many charging annual subscriptions of just $50. Last month, the US Department of Justice seized nearly 4,000 internet domains it said were being used to illegally stream World Cup matches.
Soccer is one of the most popular sports in Saudi Arabia and the government has been pouring money into it as part of efforts to promote economic diversification, healthy lifestyles, and boost its international reputation.
Notable
- BeIN said in 2018 that it would spend less on broadcasting major sports competitions unless the industry did more to stop its content being stolen, amid a spat with Saudi Arabia and other countries, Bloomberg reported at the time.