The news comes amid the ongoing Qatari crisis and over two weeks after several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen severed diplomatic and transport ties with Doha.
Speaking about the soon to be launched network, Chairman of Saudi Media City, Muflih al-Hafatah, was quoted as saying:
“One channel will be launched initially as a promotional platform for the network, and with the beginning of the new season there will be 5 channels which will gradually increase to become 11 channels.”
Al-Hafatah also stated that the channel will not be encrypted; therefore accessible free of charge.
Even though many are already sharing material pertaining to the launch on social media, with a few even posting a supposed "PBS" logo, all details related to the network's launch remain unconfirmed until further notice.
The television rights that beIN Sports currently holds include rights for: "The 2018 and 2022 World Cup, the Cup of Nations in Europe, the Asian Cup, Africa Cup of Nations, the Champions League, the AFC Champions League, CAF Champions League tournaments."
To end the monopoly, the kingdom would have to acquire their respective rights for future seasons.
Currently, distribution decisions such as these would have to be made by Fifa's (International Football Federation) court.
In an interview with Gulf News last week, Saudi lawyer Majid Gharoub, who has worked with the federation's Legal Committee for several years, said:
“Due to the political situation in the region, Saudi Arabia will have to negotiate with Fifa on the rights issues. We will be submitting a report on the developments and Fifa will have to look into it.”
