Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Saudi Arabia blocks Qatari beIN's World Cup streaming platform

Saudi Arabia blocks Qatari beIN's World Cup streaming platform

Saudi Arabia has blocked Qatari broadcaster BeIN's popular streaming service TOD.tv since the start of the World Cup on Nov. 20, according to a Reuters witness, in a sudden disruption after 10 months of smooth operations.
Saudi Arabia has blocked Qatari broadcaster BeIN's popular streaming service TOD.tv since the start of the World Cup on Nov. 20, according to a Reuters witness, in a sudden disruption after 10 months of smooth operations.

BeIN Sports, with its online platforms including TOD.tv, is the official broadcaster of the 2022 soccer World Cup to audiences in the Middle East and North Africa.

Accessing the TOD.tv page from within Saudi Arabia prompts a page that reads, "Sorry, the requested page is violating the regulations of the ministry of media." BeIN channels in general were still available via satellite dishes.

TOD.tv sent a message to its subscribers in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 24 saying it was experiencing an outage.

"Due to matters beyond our control, we are experiencing an outage in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is currently impacting TOD.tv, the official streaming partner of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022," the company said in a email obtained by Reuters.

The Saudi government communications office did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters outside office hours. FIFA did not immediately respond.

BeIN declined to comment.

Twitter users have inundated TOD.tv's account with messages demanding their subscription fees be returned after the outage, or posting with the hashtag "Media ministry blocks TOD."

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the opening ceremony of the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East. At a later Saudi match, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani wore a Saudi flag around his neck.

The moves were seen as signs that Qatar and Saudi Arabia had resumed their relationship after Riyadh and its allies severed diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in 2017 over accusations Doha supported terrorism, a charge Qatar has denied.

That year, beIN was blocked in Saudi Arabia.

In 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) found Saudi Arabia had breached global rules on intellectual property rights by failing to prosecute pirate TV channel beoutQ for piracy of beIN's content.

That same year, Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Competition cancelled beIN Sports' licence.

It began broadcasting again in Saudi in 2021.

In October, a source familiar with beIN told Reuters that Saudi equity firms and U.S. investors were considering an investment in beIN. Bloomberg had reported that Saudi wealth fund PIF had shown interest in the broadcaster.

TOD, a beIN streaming platform that exclusively hosts beIN Sports content as well as other Middle Eastern entertainment shows, is competing with Saudi-owned MBC Group's platform Shahid for millions of subscribers in the region.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×