Yes, another takeover article. Believe me, we’re as bored and exhausted as you.
However last night’s article in the Daily Mail is worth touching on, as there have been certain rumblings and rumours in the last few days that are starting to make sense and offer light at the end of the tunnel.
If what emerged late last night is true, then it is seemingly backing up what many footballing pundits and financial experts have been predicting in the last week or so. The delay in the deal is due to the Premier League wanting to resolve the piracy issue, not use it as a reason to block the sale.
Here is the article below, which claims ‘Saudi Arabia is set to work out a peace deal over TV rights with Qatar‘:
It’s easy for Newcastle fans to be cynical about this deal finally going through. I totally get the cynicism, 13 years of rank ownership does that to football fans. That’s not to say some of the theories that have been coming out in recent days are beyond ludicrous. I saw one the other day that Ashley knew the deal would be rejected, and signed it purely to pocket the £17m non refundable deposit.
If you actually take a step back and then an objective look at things in a business sense, this latest article from the Mail makes perfect sense, and is a huge positive.
Last week there were stories that Richard Masters, the new Chief Executive of the Premier League has recently held meetings with BeIN Sports, who of course are opposed to the deal due to many reasons, but mainly over the issues over the TV rights in the MENA region. The NUFC social media brigade went berserk, almost collectively deciding that these meetings meant the death knell for the deal, and that the PL were siding with the Qatari based media giants, but the article from the Mail makes these meetings make far more sense.
There’s something people need to remember in all of this. The Premier League are in total control here, because what they are selling is their product, a product available to the highest bidder. We’ve seen it down the years with Sky, Setanta, ESPN, BTsport….the point being, BeIN Sports are merely customers. Important and lucrative ones yes, but still just customers at the end of the day. Not only that, they are customers who have a contract that expires for said product in two years. The idea that they have the clout to stop this deal is laughable. They have the right to take legal action of course if the current terms of their contract were to be breached, but if the terms were to be re-negotiated so that BeIN aren’t losing money, while the Premier League make money from signing a deal with new customers, then this whole affair becomes a horse of a different colour.
One thing I personally always thought would be an interesting caveat to this deal would be how Saudi football fans would be able to watch their sovereign states newly acquired football team. I mean, would Crown Prince Bin Salman be cheering on Bruce and the boys on an illegal stream on a BeoutQ top box? Something was always going to have to give.
BeIN Sports, PIF and The Premier League are all multi billion pound companies, and companies of this magnitude don’t establish themselves by always looking only at the short term. As this Daily Mail article alludes to, agreeing a deal suits all parties, especially the Premier League.
There have also been prominent voices in the game talking about The Premier League’s duty of care, and their moral obligation to financially look after all professional football in England considering it’s the top of the tree, and they have the most money. At a time when they need it, an injection of Saudi money is too tempting for them to ignore.
If Richard Masters is indeed the man who holds the key to bringing this whole ugly situation to a close, then just imagine if he manages to not only end the piracy issue, but then bring extra money into the English game which filters down and literally saves jobs and livelihoods.
Now there’s an interesting arc for the sports washing debate…..
Looks like a lot of IFs and BUTs and your just stringing out more drivvle, you know nowt.
Cocobear(Quote)
I’m beginning to think the reason this takeover is taking so long for is because the buying party want to wait until the club are mathematically safe in the league…
Only because it’s one new thing after another, we’ll read that a particular issue has been resolved only to discover something else has popped up.
I bet when Newcastle reach 40 pts the deal will go ahead. (IMO)???
Gary Linskey(Quote)
Uk biggest middle East trading partner Saudi Arabia. Gov buys billions in Saudi shares. UK train their forces hold state visits. Welcome them for tea at no 10. Part own London newspapers and media outlets. No arguments or complants. Try to buy NUFC from the FCB all hell breaks loose. Come on FA get your act together and sort this sale out we have been waiting long enough!!!!
davep(Quote)
Davep.. things are changing in this word, hopefully for the better. The thousands of lives lost in Yemen are a deep embarrassment to the UK government. Also the kidnap, murder and dismemberment of Khoshoggi in Istanbul Saudi embassy cannot be forgiven or overlooked by free nations. A lot of people disappear, are torchered and killed in Saudi Arabia, just because they hold a different view. The blockade of Qatar is unjust and unnecessary, just because they have friends that the Saudis do not approve. How can they mend the piracy towards Qatars broadcasting rights when the blockage is in force and has been for the past 3 years? Money, greed, power should not control everything we stand for…this is not the Geordie way.
GeorgeGeordie101(Quote)
This article is utter nonsense.
I say that because on 5 June 2017, Saudi Arabia along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates severed all ties with Qatar. The reason given was Qatar’s “embrace of various terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at destabilising the region”. As part of this campaign, the Saudi-led quartet closed off their airspaces, territorial waters and land borders to Qatar.
Given the above TV rights would be the last thing they would be discussing if they were actually talking at all.
Bored of all the bills!t(Quote)
Not sure how the Premier League is, as you claim, in total control when Saudi are pirating their product.
Sounds to me like Saudi have the upper hand, raking in half a billion to a billion a year in pirated content.
Plus – how does Saudi reaching a deal with Qatar fix this? Qatar are of the opinion that a Saudi company with the backing of the government have stolen their product. If it turns out that this can be proven, MBS and PIF are disqualified from being owners. They get disqualified because they have in the past committed an act, not because they are still doing it.
Move on – take the next offer.
BykerBill(Quote)
It’s an interesting story.
Brisvegas(Quote)
Laughable that saudi, UAE and Egypt blockaded qatar then pirated their legally franchised product the EPL while claiming they supported terrorism. The 3 blockading countries above supplied all the 9/11 hijackers and are trying to commit genocide in Yemen. The devil himself would make a better owner of NUFC.
john n(Quote)