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March to June 2020 - NEWCASTLE UTD fc

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Ericsgate said:
86.8% of the messages on this Newcastle thread have been from Sunderland fans. At neatly 200 pages it is a representative sample.

Fallacy to state it is all Newcastle supporters.
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That's not what you said, you said

Newcastle fans land here because you post so much Newcastle content.
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Implying that the board, as a whole, posts a lot of NUFC content.
 

safc_grindon said:
Just to put some context around this.

Qatar-based BeIN are the main sports broadcaster for Asia (and other regions). They paid a lot for that - this is some of the most valuable sports television in the world, and includes the Premier League, the Champions League and the World Cup. Heavy hitters.

One of BeIN's biggest markets was Saudi - football is HUGE in Saudi - and TV and online audiences there is massive, the region's biggest. The recent fallout and blockade of Qatar (a thread in itself, but essentially "Iran") saw all ties cut, and the footy went with it, across the Middle East.

After some back and forth, some GCC countries got it back, but not Saudi, which has banned the sale of subscriptions to the network as part of the economic blockade of Qatar. Enter BeINQ, who started transmitting BeIN's output to the whole of Saudi.

BeIN have never made money since they started, but the loss of Saudi was a big blow - they had to get rid of about a fifth of their employees.

The technology needed to do what BeINQ are doing is monumental - it's been operated with signals transmitted by Arabsat, a communications company based in Saudi Arabia, with at least the tacit support of some VERY powerful figures in Saudi Arabia.

Now, definitive proof of that is another thing, but Premier League are furious, they're very protective of their content when it comes to this stuff (try putting a Premier League clip on YouTube, see how long it lasts), and they back BeIN on their claims. As do FIFA.

An investigation financed by FIFA, two of its confederations and a group of top European soccer leagues concluded “without question” that a Saudi Arabia-backed satellite provider has played a vital role in a piracy operation

If beIN withdraw from the market for those rights, it could have significant financial repercussions for FIFA, its confederations, the leagues and their teams.

Arabsat, based in Riyadh, is jointly owned by a consortium of Arab nations, Saudi Arabia is by far its biggest investor. BeoutQ itself claims to be based in Cuba and Colombia, though all evidence points to its being a Saudi-run operation with the support of powerful figures in the country, including Saud al-Qahtani, a senior aide and close advisor to... MBS.

And MBS is, among lots of other things, chairman of PIF.

All that said - will it stop the sale going through? I very much doubt it, it will need a lot more firmer evidence. But it does give you a glimpse into the part Newcastle United will be playing in SA's geopolitical games from now on. Don't expect this to be the last.
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Interesting insight and thank you for posting. It's important everyone continues to smell the odour of this proposed takeover even if your average mag doesn't.
 
safc_grindon said:
Just to put some context around this.

Qatar-based BeIN are the main sports broadcaster for Asia (and other regions). They paid a lot for that - this is some of the most valuable sports television in the world, and includes the Premier League, the Champions League and the World Cup. Heavy hitters.

One of BeIN's biggest markets was Saudi - football is HUGE in Saudi - and TV and online audiences there is massive, the region's biggest. The recent fallout and blockade of Qatar (a thread in itself, but essentially "Iran") saw all ties cut, and the footy went with it, across the Middle East.

After some back and forth, some GCC countries got it back, but not Saudi, which has banned the sale of subscriptions to the network as part of the economic blockade of Qatar. Enter BeINQ, who started transmitting BeIN's output to the whole of Saudi.

BeIN have never made money since they started, but the loss of Saudi was a big blow - they had to get rid of about a fifth of their employees.

The technology needed to do what BeINQ are doing is monumental - it's been operated with signals transmitted by Arabsat, a communications company based in Saudi Arabia, with at least the tacit support of some VERY powerful figures in Saudi Arabia.

Now, definitive proof of that is another thing, but Premier League are furious, they're very protective of their content when it comes to this stuff (try putting a Premier League clip on YouTube, see how long it lasts), and they back BeIN on their claims. As do FIFA.

An investigation financed by FIFA, two of its confederations and a group of top European soccer leagues concluded “without question” that a Saudi Arabia-backed satellite provider has played a vital role in a piracy operation

If beIN withdraw from the market for those rights, it could have significant financial repercussions for FIFA, its confederations, the leagues and their teams.

Arabsat, based in Riyadh, is jointly owned by a consortium of Arab nations, Saudi Arabia is by far its biggest investor. BeoutQ itself claims to be based in Cuba and Colombia, though all evidence points to its being a Saudi-run operation with the support of powerful figures in the country, including Saud al-Qahtani, a senior aide and close advisor to... MBS.

And MBS is, among lots of other things, chairman of PIF.

All that said - will it stop the sale going through? I very much doubt it, it will need a lot more firmer evidence. But it does give you a glimpse into the part Newcastle United will be playing in SA's geopolitical games from now on. Don't expect this to be the last.
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Thanks for this, very interesting.

I wonder whether the dodgy streaming might end up being sacrificed to get this through. If the deal is in the balance with PL bosses perhaps the offer by the Saudis to shut down this streaming network will tip the balance in their favour - it would be worth a lot to the PL as I think this 'source' of streaming seems to be the only major supply they don't seem able to shut down.
 
G Whizz said:
They aren't buying them to make money though, they're doing it to clean their image. For the monetary equivalent of what we would find down the back of the sofa they now have thousands of British people flocking to message boards making excuses for them.
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The hypocrisy of Newcastle fans is staggering tbh. Ashley is a pretty nasty character but they are happy to dismiss and overlook Saudi human rights abuses such as cutting up a journalist in their embassy in Turkey in the hope they start playing attractive football.

all my mates who are mags and are pretty level headed at the best of times are buying into this nonsense at the thought of signing super stars.
 
Ericsgate said:
If there is a Newcastle message board recommended I would happily discuss with them?

Ironically, I first discovered this board via a web search for a Newcastle message board.

The google algorithm does not lie, Newcastle fans land here because you post so much Newcastle content.
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The google algorithm might not lie but you do. Type 'newcastle message board' into google and the only time RTG pops up in the first 5 pages (couldnt be bothered to trawl any further)...is because of YOUR post I am quoting above.

Absolute whopper.
 
Fusco said:
The google algorithm might not lie but you do. Type 'newcastle message board' into google and the only time RTG pops up in the first 5 pages (couldnt be bothered to trawl any further)...is because of YOUR post I am quoting above.

Absolute whopper.
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Liar proven to be a liar., well done fella.

No idea what that gonk gets out of life having to spend it doing stuff like he has on here.
 
Fusco said:
The google algorithm might not lie but you do. Type 'newcastle message board' into google and the only time RTG pops up in the first 5 pages (couldnt be bothered to trawl any further)...is because of YOUR post I am quoting above.

Absolute whopper.
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He is a liar and for that reason the mods should act.
 
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What is confusing me about all this is the timing of it all.

We have no idea if/when football will restart. No one knows what TV money will be forthcoming as compensation if the season is cancelled.
We expect a recession afterwards. Football clubs all over the country are saying they may have to fold. Why would Saudi money want to conclude business now, when realistically in a few months we will better know the picture, and there may be similar or even bigger clubs desperate to sell up. Hell if it all goes pearshaped Mike Ashley might be desperate to sell. The value certainly wont be going up

I get that the Saudis might have money to lose, or that they might be gambling on the football bubble bursting and them being in a financially strong position if that happens. But thats still a huge gamble
 
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Redandwhitedust said:
What is confusing me about all this is the timing of it all.

We have no idea if/when football will restart. No one knows what TV money will be forthcoming as compensation if the season is cancelled.
We expect a recession afterwards. Football clubs all over the country are saying they may have to fold. Why would Saudi money want to conclude business now, when realistically in a few months we will better know the picture, and there may be similar or even bigger clubs desperate to sell up.

I get that the Saudis might have money to lose, or that they might be gambling on the football bubble bursting and them being in a financially strong position if that happens. But thats still a huge gamble
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The Saudi wealth fund for investment to whitewash the countries image is worth 350 billion.

they have the cash to take a financial hit.

If the PL let’s this go through then it’s morally bankrupt (which it already is anyway)
 
Fusco said:
The google algorithm might not lie but you do. Type 'newcastle message board' into google and the only time RTG pops up in the first 5 pages (couldnt be bothered to trawl any further)...is because of YOUR post I am quoting above.

Absolute whopper.
Click to expand...
Not in 2017
 
citybythesea said:
The Saudis are national equivalent to pubs illegally streaming games!
As cynical as it seems the premier league will be more bothered about this than any tarnished reputation by their human rights issues.
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Apart from it was thrown out of court in France and Bein made to pay large sums to cover the legal expenses. Arabsat were in the process of considering a legal proceeding themselves for defamation.
 
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