The Times report that BeIN Sports, who are headed up in part by PSG President Nasser Al Khelaifi & who own considerable Premier League rights, have formally requested that the Saudi purchase of Newcastle United be blocked on the grounds that the country engages in TV piracy.

The complaint relates to beoutQ, who quite transparently rip off BeIN Sports feeds.

PL statement in January 2019: "[We have] already appointed legal counsel in Saudi Arabia to begin the process of action against this highly organised & sophisticated illegal broadcast piracy."

European Commission in a statement in Jan 2020 formally denounced Saudi Arabia for:

"[failing to take] steps... despite the fact that... BeoutQ [is] being transmitted by the satellite (Badr-4/Arabsat- 4b) of the partly state-owned Arab Satellite Communications Organisation."

Can BeIN compel the PL not to sanction the sale? Legally there would appear to be 0 grounds for it. Can this act, by BeIN, start to plant a seed in the minds of other important stakeholders? That's certainly what they will be hoping for with the letter leaking. Geopolitics.

The Times report this morning that Premier League lawyers are indeed investigating Saudi Arabia’s involvement in pirate broadcasting of football via BeoutQ in order to see whether the takeover of Newcastle United should be blocked.

The Times report that Giles Watling MP, a Conservative member of the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee, has now called for his committee to hold an evidence session on Saudi-based piracy of British sport including Premier League football.

The Guardian report that the World Trade Organisation have concluded that Saudi Arabia are formally responsible for the pirate activities of beoutQ & thus are in breach of international law. They siphoned off potentially millions in broadcasting revenue from Qatar-owned BeIN.

So, will the PL ignore the fact that chairman of PIF, poised to take 80% of Newcastle, is also the head of a state now found guilty of breaching international law by the highest court on such matters? The very WTO the UK govt might rely on excellent relations with post-Brexit?

Regardless of the outcome, it seems to have been a major miscalculation from the Saudi govt to try to execute this acquisition through its Public Investment Fund, rather than through 1 of the crown's proxies, like Al-Waleed bin Talal for example, linked to Marseille recently.