Lebanon Informed beIN Sports Won't Give TL Rights to Air World Cup
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
State-owned Tele Liban will not be granted the rights to broadcast the Brazil-hosted 2014 FIFA World Cup which kicks off on Thursday, according to Sports and Youth Minister Abdul Muttaleb Hennawi.
The minister announced Wednesday that he has received an email from the beIN Sports TV network in which it informed him that “TL will not be given the exclusive rights to air World Cup matches” in Lebanon.
beIN Sports is a global network of sports channels jointly owned and operated by Qatari Sports Investments, an affiliate of Al-Jazeera Media Networks.
In the wake of the development, Hennawi said he telephoned Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, currently on a visit to Qatar, to inform him of the content of the email he had received.
Mashnouq for his part called Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani, “who promised to help Lebanon obtain the broadcasting rights.”
Hennawi said the Qatari premier is waiting for beIN Sports chairman Nasser al-Kharafi to return to Kuwait from a foreign trip to discuss the issue with him and take a final decision.
Meanwhile, Hassan Zein, executive director of SAMA, the sole agent of BeIN Sports in Lebanon, told LBCI television that his firm is “technologically and logistically prepared” for the World Cup.
He noted that citizens and residents in Lebanon can purchase SAMA receiver cards from the company's authorized agents in all Lebanese regions or directly from the company's headquarters and website.
The ambiguity over broadcasting rights threatens to deprive a lot of soccer fans of watching the much anticipated games.
In the absence of laws regulating the telecommunications sector, most Lebanese get their subscriptions from mostly illegal cable companies that operate through piracy and charge about LBP 20,000 ($13) a month.
The World Cup has always been an important event for Lebanon and its citizens -- even during the 1975-1990 civil war when militiamen would lay down their weapons to watch the matches.
Y.R.
S.D.B.
11 June 2014, 23:37
02
Better to be united by entertainment than divided by politics. I for one am tired of being divided for the sake of a bunch of politicians who don't give a stuff for their country. LAF w bass until we manage to take back our dignity and country and once we have a proper country that is 100% democratic.
12 June 2014, 01:48
00
God forbid someone doesn't make a profit from this. Of course Teleliban was never going to get the rights. The most watched event in the world on a free-to-air channel was always too good to be true. Amazing how something as unanimously loved as football will always be controlled and decided by money in Lebanon. Hundreds of dollars spent for a month of football? Where will it stop? In 2010 it was 10 extra dollars to Cablevision, now it's an entirely different receiver and smart card. Will we be expected to buy custom television for a "great" deal at 1000$ in 2018?
12 June 2014, 09:45
00
Feel sorry for all the young kids who wont be able to watch this. I am sure many will try to go to relatives who are able to view the world game. This should be an event where every human being is able to watch with enthusiam about the love of soccer. Unfortunately politics money and greed will stop many from seeing this event which only comes around every few years. I for one will be up to watching the opening ceremony and tune in to the games being played when possible. Good luck Lebanon.
14 June 2014, 01:17
00
In one word I can reply
Sama company must go to hell
And with her body guards
And sure mafia of government. That
Close eyes ears to do a solution
For one time.realy I feel
Pain for poor citizens
When will be the revolution?
