ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region’s transport and communications ministry on Tuesday issued a one-month ultimatum to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to stop the illegal online broadcasting of beIN Media Group channels, particularly beIN SPORTS.
In a statement, the ministry said the measure aims to curb the distribution of “unlicensed channels” and protect intellectual property rights.
BeIN SPORTS is a major global pay-TV sports network operating dozens of channels in multiple languages. It remains a dominant broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the company’s website.
In an official letter dated November 17, the General Directorate of Posts and Communication - an affiliate of the transport and communications ministry - notified internet companies “to stop broadcasting beIN SPORTS channels, which are broadcast through online streaming on some domestic channels illegally via [Internet Protocol Television] IPTV.”
Several major telecom and internet providers in the Kurdistan Region bundle IPTV services - systems that deliver television content over the internet - into their Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) packages.
The ministry emphasized that any channel seeking to broadcast beIN SPORTS online must work through the network’s authorized representative “in order to protect intellectual property and legal rights according to the laws and applicable guidelines of the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG].”
Under Kurdistan Region copyright law (No. 17 of 2012), the financial rights of authors and rights holders - including films, broadcasts, and audiovisual works - are protected, and all channels operating in the Region are required to secure proper licensing.