Qatar's Bein Sports Faces Steep Fine in Egypt

February 4, 2018 11 News & Analysis Gulf Qatar’s beIN Sports faces steep fine in Egypt

The Arab Weekly staff

Cairo

n Egypt court fined beIN Sports $22.6 million for violating anti-trust regu- lations, the latest in a series of troubles for the Qatari-ownedA network. The Cairo Economic Court found the beIN Media Group and Chair- man Nasser al-Khelaifi guilty of what it termed “monopolistic practices” and handed down a fine of 400 million Egyptian pounds ($22.6 million). BeIN violated Egypt’s competition law by forcing subscribers to switch from Egyptian satellite Nilesat to Qatar’s Sohail satellite to access its programming, which included exclusive broadcast rights to the African Cup of Nations football matches. “This caused Nilesat direct economic deficits and harmed market competition,” a statement from the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) said. BeIN’s subscription policy, which forced customers to subscribe to all sports bundles to view a single football tournament, was deemed “exploitative.” “This is not the first time that the channel has violated Egyptian law,” the ECA statement added, referring to its broadcasting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. At the time, any Egyp- tian viewer interested in watching the World Cup had to subscribe to beIN for at least one year. Under a cloud. A file picture shows a microphone with the logo of the TV Sport channel beIN Sport. (AFP) With Egypt set this year to appear in its first World Cup since 1990, Egyptians are concerned about including the Muslim Brotherhood, that beIN Sports — then called menced in October 2010 for a bonus ican football officials in US District being able to follow the tourna- which has been designated as a Al Jazeera Sports — agreed to se- payment of $100 million to FIFA Court in New York revealed that ment. terrorist organisation in Egypt. cretly pay $100 million to FIFA to from Al Jazeera if Qatar won 2022. FIFA officials were paid millions of BeIN criticised the ECA and ECA Chairwoman Mona El-Garf ensure Qatar won the right to host There was no way he could turn it dollars to back Qatar’s World Cup claimed its decision was politically praised the Cairo court ruling, the 2022 World Cup. down,” the book said. bid. The trial also tied Khelaifi to motivated. saying: “It advocates rule of law The book, “Whatever It Takes: A trial of three senior South Amer- Argentinian sports firm Full Play, “BeIN categorically rejects and is against the harmful practices of The Inside Story of the FIFA Way,” which is believed to be at the centre shocked and appalled by the judg- beIN Sports against the Egyptian alleges that then FIFA President of bribery payments. ment of the Cairo Economic Court,” citizen who loves football.” Sepp Blatter knew Qatar would BeIN’s subscription Doha is also facing accusations a beIN statement said. “The judg- “Our agency took the lead in win the vote and that the payment policy, which forced over its winning of the right to host ment is based on unfounded and shedding light on the company’s from Al Jazeera Sports occurred customers to the 2019 Athletics World Champion- politically motivated allegations by practices, a matter that prompted with the knowledge of former FIFA subscribe to all ship, with media reports that the US the ECA that have no basis in fact or international bodies to act against Secretary-General Jerome Valcke. sports bundles to Justice Department was pursuing l a w.” beIN Sports,” she added. Both Blatter and Valcke have subse- possible racketeering, money laun- Qatar remains in a political crisis This is not the first time that beIN quently been banned by FIFA. view a single football dering and fraud charges related with several Arab countries, includ- Sports has been embroiled in con- “Valcke’s concerns about revenue tournament, was to the International Association of ing Egypt, over allegations of Do- troversy. A new book by FIFA whis- growth in relation to Qatar were deemed Athletics Federations’ awarding of ha’s support for outlawed groups, tle-blower Bonita Mersiades claims assuaged when negotiations com- “exploitative.” meets. Viewpoint Qatari courting of pro-Israel figures only puts the spotlight on Doha’s glaring contradictions

atar’s outreach to visited Qatar included Malcolm ca,” went so far as to mock Doha’s In addition, the Qatari govern- pro-Israel Jews in the Hoenlein, the executive vice presi- efforts in a January 15 letter to ment is said to be interested in United States was hot dent of the Conference of Presi- Sheikh Tamim. strengthening its technology sector Iman Zayat news in Israel in re- dents of Major American Jewish “Your efforts are going to fail, through cooperation with Israel, is the Managing Editor of The cent weeks with Doha Organisations; Alan Dershowitz, a which is why I’m writing,” wrote whose high-tech companies could

Arab Weekly. Qattempting to cement former Harvard Law School profes- Boteach. “Not because I care about be interested in exporting products its ties with the United States in sor; and John Batchelor, a conserva- you wasting your money. Indeed, and knowhow to Qatar. the face of unwavering regional tive host for WABC radio in New many of the people taking it have Beyond such possible motives, isolation. York. told me that better that it go to Doha is struggling to clear its repu- The move by the tiny emirate, Qatar reportedly began its out- them, then to Hamas. tation from accusations of support which has consistently cultivated reach to influential Jewish leaders “Don’t be fooled by the fact that to extremist groups. Such accusa- the support of Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2017, using the services of some Jews have been willing to tions, which were more than once sympathisers and Arab nationalist Nick Muzin, a Jewish-American accept hefty retainer fees to lobby echoed by US President Donald fringes, has raised many eyebrows. public relations consultant who other Jews on your behalf. They are Trump, have been among the main Reports by the Israeli daily previously worked for US Senator not your friends or allies. They are reasons for the diplomatic row that Haaretz said right-wing American Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas. opportunists,” he added. pitted Saudi Arabia, the United Jewish leaders met with senior Qa- Muzin arranged meetings Boteach published articles criti- Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt tari officials in recent months. For between senior Qatari leaders, in- cising Jewish leaders who visited against Doha. some of the meetings, prominent cluding Sheikh Tamim, and leading Qatar, with one appearing on the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Jewish leaders were flown to Qatar, figures of the Jewish community. far-right Breitbart news website Affairs Anwar Gargash, in an inter- all-expenses-paid junkets arranged The initiative included right- carrying the headline “Jewish Com- view with CNN last June, summed by the Doha regime, which has wing segments of the US Jewish munity for Sale to Qatar?” up the dispute as being the result of been isolated by a Saudi-led Arab community, as well as non-Jewish The unexpectedly virulent criti- continued “lack of trust.” quartet for its alleged support of supporters of Israel, such as former cism shows that Doha is caught up “Various countries are fed up extremism. Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, by its contradictions. with this sort of duplicity that Qatar’s attempt to The latest pro-Israel figure to visit who are being pressed to explain Despite its long history of support we’ve seen, that has been under- win over pro-Israel Qatar was Morton Klein, president their ties to Doha. for the Islamist Hamas movement, mining the region… it is time for of the Zionist Organisation of The Israeli Embassy to the United Qatar has kept contact with Israel cooler heads, to restructure Qatar’s influencers has at America, who met with Qatari Emir States distanced itself from the for strategic and economic reasons. approach on foreign policy,” Gar- least partially Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani Qatari outreach programme and Doha’s relations with Israel are gash said. backfired since it in January. Klein, in an interview the initiative faced strong criticism clearly aimed at promoting good Qatar’s attempt to win over with the Jerusalem Post, said the from many within the Jewish reli- will with the West, particularly the pro-Israel influencers has at least has ironically put Qataris told him that if the United gious community. United States. Ultimately, Qatar partially backfired since it has ironi- the spotlight on States asked Doha to throw out Ha- Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, an hopes to achieve other additional cally put the spotlight more than mas members, the Qataris would Orthodox Jewish leader from New benefits, including the economic ever on Doha’s glaring inconsisten- Doha’s glaring do it “in a minute.” Jersey who has been described as dividends that could come with in- cies and double talk. inconsistencies. Other US pro-Israeli figures who “the most famous rabbi in Ameri- creased sales of natural gas to Israel. Junkets cannot gloss over that.