This archive report was first published on 23 June 2020.
On June 22, 2020, fans of Serie A around the world were left disappointed as BeIN Sports pulled its coverage of the league's return from the coronavirus shutdown.
The Qatar-owned network, which holds the rights to Serie A until 2021 in 35 areas including France, Turkey, and 24 Middle East and North African countries, Indonesia, and the Philippines, stopped broadcasting matches due to a dispute with the league.
Subscribers to BeIN Sports who tuned in to watch Saturday's comeback match between Torino and Parma were greeted with blue screens, and this continued for Sunday's high-profile matches featuring Atalanta and Inter Milan.
According to a spokesperson for BeIN Sports, 'No Serie A matches are being broadcast on BeIN Sports' entire global network.' The spokesperson declined to comment further, citing legal reasons.
BeIN Sports' president, Yousef al-Obaidly, has criticized both Serie A and the Spanish football authorities for their relationships with Saudi Arabia, despite the allegedly state-sponsored pirating of one of its key international broadcasters.
The dispute is part of a broader conflict between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours, who cut diplomatic ties with and imposed an economic blockade on Doha over claims the country was too close to Iran.
BeIN Sports and Serie A are set to negotiate broadcast rights for upcoming seasons, but the current dispute has put a damper on the league's return.
