JSC Sports - Al Jazeera & Fox Sports Italia in dispute with FA
According to reports, the FA are starting to limit which of the 3pm FA Premier League kick offs are made available to broadcasters.
For European broadcasters this has almost always been the case, since many of these services (Sky Italia, Sky Germany, Canal+) can also be receive via satellite in the UK.
However, it appears that this “3pm blackout” has now also been imposed on other non European broadcasters, including Al Jazeera Sports.
It is believe that this could this be some “retaliation” by the FA on JSC, due to the JSC channels being available to many IPTV Internet & card share TV systems, and that are used by some pubs in the UK??
Al Jazeera Sports have the right to show all 380 Premier League matches to the area of the Middle East and North Africa.
Apparently, a report of Al Jazeera Sport has said that they will, from the 23rd November 2013, also be limited to showing just one of the batch of 3pm kick offs.
This has angered Al Jazeera Sport, who paid millions for the rights, who apparently see this as a breach of contract and are thinking of ending their contract at the end of the 2013/ 14 season.
“FOX SPORTS ITALIA comunica ai suoi spettatori la decisione della Barclays Premier League di non rendere temporaneamente possibile in Italia la trasmissione integrale delle partite in calendario il sabato alle 16.00. Gli incontri non saranno visibili sul canale già a partire da sabato 23 novembre.”
“Fox Sports Italy announces to it’s subscribers the decision of the Barclays Premier League to temporarily not allow the transmission in Italy of the 3pm kick offs on Saturdays. This will commence immediately with the games on Saturday 23 November. ”
A statement on JSC news channel said :
“Following a decision by the FA Premier League, JSC Sports we will no longer be able to broadcast all of the 3:00 P.M. games on Saturday, except one.
Al Jazeera has decided to terminate the contract with the Premier League at the end of the 2013-14 season because there are no more the conditions of mutual respect which deserves a contract worth more than a billion dollars.”
Update: many football on satellite listings sites have been updated, and have Al Jazeera Sports channels only showing the one 3pm Saturday kick off this weekend – Arsenal v Southampton.
Update: Al Jazeera Sports Channels are only promoting three matches for Saturday…only one being a 3pm kickoff. Nothing yet said about this by Richard Keyes on his football show!
We can only hope that JSC Sports and the Premier League come to some sort of arrangement that allows JSC to return to screening all matches, although at the moment this does look doubtful.