DOHA, Feb 15 - A group of sports bodies and broadcasters including the US National Basketball Association, U.S. Tennis Association and Sky has called for the United States to add Saudi Arabia to its 'priority watch list' over alleged TV piracy, filings show. The filings, made this week with the Office of the United States Trade Representative, come as a growing number of global sports and television bodies look to shut down beoutQ, a TV station they claim is based in Saudi Arabia and broadcasting sports and entertainment they hold exclusive rights for. BeoutQ emerged in 2017 after Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar, which it accused of supporting terrorism, something Doha denies. The channel is widely available in Saudi Arabia. But Riyadh says it is not based there and authorities are committed to fighting piracy. While initially targeting lucrative sports content held by Qatar's beIN Sports such as Premier League soccer, some broadcasters say the network has since expanded to include entertainment and is now reaching users in Europe, undercutting the value of their television rights. In its filing, Sky said 'the service has rapidly grown and we understand that beoutQ set-top-boxes are now sold across the MENA region and the beoutQ channels are now also available in Europe.' MENA refers to the Middle East North Africa region. 'In addition, the BeoutQ devices provide direct access to applications offering unauthorized access to many thousands of premium television channels, including channels owned by Sky Group companies across Europe, and carrying content in which Sky has invested billions of Euros,' it said. It is unclear who owns or operates beoutQ and Reuters has not been able to contact it for comment. The 'Special 301 Report on Intellectual Property Rights' is an annual report in which the United States highlights the countries it considers the worst offenders of intellectual property rights. A spokesman for the US Trade Representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Other organizations that filed complaints include Canal+, beIN Media Group and MIRAMAX, a sports coalition that includes Major League Baseball and the National Football League, and the US Chamber of Commerce. The Saudi government media office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the filings. The Trump administration announced its 2018 'priority watch list' last April, and added Saudi Arabia to its less serious 'watch list' over similar concerns.
