AFCON games severely damaged by piracy

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has witnessed a new major hacking operation committed by the pirate television platform called "beoutQ", which its flagship competition is victim, the final tournament of the Total Africa Cup of Nations organized in Egypt from 21 June to 19 July 2019.

Television broadcasts of all 36 matches in the group phase were fraudulently diverted and made available on beoutQ, with the support of the satellite provider Arabsat. Arabsat has refused to obey the requests for taking down the illegal transmissions.

Only beIN Sports has a contract from CAF to broadcast, on an exclusive basis and with the right to sub-license, the matches of the Total Africa Cup of Nations, EGYPT 2019 on the countries of North Africa and Middle East, in particular, while the Egyptian channel Time Sport Channel, as the host television of the Competition, is authorized by CAF to broadcast the games by free terrestrial television throughout the territory of Egypt.

beoutQ is broadcast throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and is also available across the world, which is causing severe damage to the rights of CAF and all rights granted by contracts to its official broadcast partners, and first and foremost beIN Sports and the Egyptian host television of the Competition, considering the territorial zone on which the pirate broadcasts of beoutQ are focusing.

The broadcasting rights granted by CAF on an exclusive basis to its official broadcast partners are matched by important financial contributions that ensure the financing and development of African football competitions and its member associations.

CAF strongly condemns the acts of piracy committed by BeoutQ that directly threaten the ambitions of valorization, influence and development of the African football and CAF.

Therefore, CAF urges BeoutQ to put an end to these piracy acts. CAF also intends, in compliance with its statutory missions, to join the steps taken by the main rights holders harmed (including FIFA, UEFA, AFC, Liga, Premier League and Bundesliga) and to take all necessary measures and actions against entities that commit, or are complicit in the commission of, these piracy acts, including proceedings.