DOHA: Qatar-based BeIN Sports told the Bundesliga on Friday it was pulling out of the negotiations on a new five-year deal, blaming piracy as the primary factor, Bloomberg has reported.
The broadcaster of German top-flight soccer walked away from contract renewal talks hours before the new season kicks off.
“Our business plan is clear. We will only bid for rights at levels that make economic sense and have a value proposition,” Richard Verow, chief sports officer at BeIN, said in a statement. “Piracy has crippled the market so we have made the decision not to renew with Bundesliga there.”
Previous deal
The company had $237 million in the previous five-year deal and has been showing Bundesliga games live in 24 countries in the region.
A spokesman for the German league declined to comment.
BeIN has blamed Saudi Arabia, with whom Qatar has a political and economic dispute, for supporting a rival broadcaster that it says took BeIN content illegally and sold it on to viewers who would otherwise be paying BeIN for the service.
The Saudi government denies the allegation.
BeIN and the Bundesliga still have contracts with each other in France and the Asia-Pacific region.