EPL fans let down by beIN Sports coverage as piracy woes continue

Barnaby Read 15:03 20/08/2014
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  • Under attack: Not only are beIN Sports under pressure from internet pirates, but also its customers who are not receiving a full service as advertised.

    Qatar-owned broadcaster beIN Sports has come under criticism after its Premier League service in the UAE once again left consumers short of the promised quota of matches on the opening day of the season.

    beIN have long been battling issues over piracy which has left the Premier League reluctant to allow them to show more than one live match on a Saturday at 3pm and resulted in no games being streamed via the beIN website.

    Formerly Al Jazeera Sports, beIN owns the EPL television rights for 23 countries from Iran to Morocco and charges just shy of Dh500 to customers wishing to get their full sports package.

    beIN advertises that it shows each EPL games live and exclusive throughout the season but on Saturday released a statement on its website streaming page stating that a number of games would not be shown.

    "Due to rights restrictions, this match cannot be viewed over the internet. We apologise for the inconvenience and we hope to revert to the full schedule soon," read a beIN message on their official website.

    Despite a summer campaign aimed at combatting the piracy problems that have dogged the company, EPL fans are facing another season of restricted games.

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