+ A
A -
Tribune News Network
DOHA
As a part of a united front in the fight against the beoutQ’s broadcast piracy menace, the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has planned to launch a White Paper.
SIGA CEO Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros declared this during the second and concluding day of the Inter-Regional Summit in Doha on Tuesday. In a panel discussion on ‘Media rights and digital piracy – A hot issue at the heart of Sport Integrity’, he said the overt piracy affects all broadcasters, youth and grass-root sports.
“The survival of the very business model of sports broadcasting is at stake. This is not just the problem of beIN Sports or Qatar. The sustainability of the whole sports industry faces a grave situation.”
He added, “It is a big failure of the key international institutions, who should provide the protection under the rule of laws. Sports organisers have been left alone to fight this together with the broadcasters. It is time to turn a new page.
“The SIGA, which is a part of wide strategy approach to the problem of integrity, is launching a White Paper on sport integrity. IP rights and digital piracy will be on this agenda. You can count on us to be proactive in this field, whether it hurts or not.”
Medeiros also said: “On September 25, we’ll have a round table and we’ll engage all stakeholders so that we can get an active engagement with all concerned organisations and governments to form a united front in the fight against sports corruption.”
Prefessor Craig LaMay, a journalist and resident professor in Northwestern University in Qatar elaborated: “The commercialisation of sports intellectual property rights, with audio-visual rights at the top, represents the largest income stream of sport competition organisers and the wider industry. With the rising cannibalisation of those rights and its consequent drop in commercial value, sport’s economic viability is at stake!”
Duncan Walkinshaw, Director of Programming at beIN Sports, explained the extent of the satellite piracy that beaoutQ is carrying out: “This is totally unique. The content is presented in a legitimate and bona fide manner but actually totally rebrands beIN’s sports content. It is the most dangerous form of piracy that has ever taken place. It is political. It mocks Qatar and is a problem for all broadcasters.”
In reply to a question about the impact of piracy on business and sports rights, Walkinshaw said, “It has enormous impact. If the business model is hit, we don’t have the money to invest. We have to protect the business. We have to protect the rights. Rights become lost, their worth gets deteriorated and that greatly impacts what the sport /rights holders get to invest in their sport.
“This has affected us - beIN has had to reduce resources by 40 percent. beIN has invested heavily. We have recruited some of the best in broadcasting from around the world. We have created quality product. We invest so much and we would not be able to sustain that.
“I am taking the gloves off now as this issue is serious. This is the responsibilities of national governments. We need leadership, we need action,” he added.
Other panel discussions on the agenda were Sport Integrity and global business, Sport Integrity: A catalyst for development, legacy and peace, Female leadership in sport – A call for action, Major sports: What is being done to ensure the highest integrity?
Later, the curtain came down on the summit with de Medeiros and SIGA Chairman Franco Frattini delivering concluding remarks while thanking the guests and participants.
The International Centre for Sport Security and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Unit also signed a co-operation agreement on the sidelines of the summit.
DOHA
As a part of a united front in the fight against the beoutQ’s broadcast piracy menace, the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has planned to launch a White Paper.
SIGA CEO Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros declared this during the second and concluding day of the Inter-Regional Summit in Doha on Tuesday. In a panel discussion on ‘Media rights and digital piracy – A hot issue at the heart of Sport Integrity’, he said the overt piracy affects all broadcasters, youth and grass-root sports.
“The survival of the very business model of sports broadcasting is at stake. This is not just the problem of beIN Sports or Qatar. The sustainability of the whole sports industry faces a grave situation.”
He added, “It is a big failure of the key international institutions, who should provide the protection under the rule of laws. Sports organisers have been left alone to fight this together with the broadcasters. It is time to turn a new page.
“The SIGA, which is a part of wide strategy approach to the problem of integrity, is launching a White Paper on sport integrity. IP rights and digital piracy will be on this agenda. You can count on us to be proactive in this field, whether it hurts or not.”
Medeiros also said: “On September 25, we’ll have a round table and we’ll engage all stakeholders so that we can get an active engagement with all concerned organisations and governments to form a united front in the fight against sports corruption.”
Prefessor Craig LaMay, a journalist and resident professor in Northwestern University in Qatar elaborated: “The commercialisation of sports intellectual property rights, with audio-visual rights at the top, represents the largest income stream of sport competition organisers and the wider industry. With the rising cannibalisation of those rights and its consequent drop in commercial value, sport’s economic viability is at stake!”
Duncan Walkinshaw, Director of Programming at beIN Sports, explained the extent of the satellite piracy that beaoutQ is carrying out: “This is totally unique. The content is presented in a legitimate and bona fide manner but actually totally rebrands beIN’s sports content. It is the most dangerous form of piracy that has ever taken place. It is political. It mocks Qatar and is a problem for all broadcasters.”
In reply to a question about the impact of piracy on business and sports rights, Walkinshaw said, “It has enormous impact. If the business model is hit, we don’t have the money to invest. We have to protect the business. We have to protect the rights. Rights become lost, their worth gets deteriorated and that greatly impacts what the sport /rights holders get to invest in their sport.
“This has affected us - beIN has had to reduce resources by 40 percent. beIN has invested heavily. We have recruited some of the best in broadcasting from around the world. We have created quality product. We invest so much and we would not be able to sustain that.
“I am taking the gloves off now as this issue is serious. This is the responsibilities of national governments. We need leadership, we need action,” he added.
Other panel discussions on the agenda were Sport Integrity and global business, Sport Integrity: A catalyst for development, legacy and peace, Female leadership in sport – A call for action, Major sports: What is being done to ensure the highest integrity?
Later, the curtain came down on the summit with de Medeiros and SIGA Chairman Franco Frattini delivering concluding remarks while thanking the guests and participants.
The International Centre for Sport Security and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Unit also signed a co-operation agreement on the sidelines of the summit.
