Dan Roan has claimed that the latest news with regards to beIN Sports ‘could be significant’ for the proposed takeover of Newcastle United, as per his official Twitter page.
Indeed, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have permanently cancelled their licence with the Qatari-based broadcasting company, a move which has apparently shocked beIN and could affect the prospective takeover in the North East.
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The BBC journalist also stated the fact that the Saudis would not be able to watch NUFC play, to which Roan claims that the Premier League would not be too impressed with.
Saudi Arabia permanently cancels licence of beIN Sports.
Move has shocked beIN, & could be significant re chance of PL approval for NUFC takeover.
If deal approved, means Saudis won’t be able to watch NUFC…can’t see Premier League being too impressed https://t.co/FCyvvXAZ32— Dan Roan (@danroan) July 14, 2020
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Competition (GAC) has confirmed that it had ended their ties with beIN Sports following previous disputes with Qatar about running it in their country (via Reuters).
GAC also confirmed that they were going to fine the broadcasters 10 million Saudi riyals, which equates to around £2.13 million, to which there has been no immediate comment from Qatari authorities or the company themselves.
Indeed, the latest attempt from the Saudis to try and clamp down on their piracy issues once and for all could improve their chances of the £300 million bid to buy the Magpies being approved by the top flight, but may also be a stumbling block if England’s highest division lose viewers in the Middle East as Roan has suggested.
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Nevertheless, whether this piece of news ultimately affects the final decision of the league is all up in the air at this particular moment in time, as more clarity on the whole scenario may well come in the next few days or weeks.
Geordies, do you think this news could be significant for the takeover? Comment below!
