Channels owned by Qatar-based BeIN Media were back
on the air in the UAE this weekend after being unblocked by local telecoms
service providers.
That's good news for sports fans and cartoon
lovers. BeIN holds the regional TV rights to top flight soccer leagues and
tournaments, and broadcasts popular kids channels, such as Baraem and Jeem.
The channels were suspended on June 5 after the UAE and other Arab
states cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.
Qatar's state TV and Al Jazeera networks remain
blocked.
The UAE, together with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and
Egypt, have tried to isolate Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism. Qatar has
denied the accusations.
The Quartet of states has presented Qatar with a
list of demands they say it must meet in order to restore normal ties. One of
the demands includes the closure of Al Jazeera.
On Thursday, BeIN Media said it had won exclusive rights to broadcast soccer's most
prestigious club competition -- the UEFA Champions League -- in the region
until 2021.
It already holds the rights to the 2017/18 season
and other European tournaments such as Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A.
UAE telecoms firm Etisalat did not respond to a
request for comment but informed its customers via text message that the
service was resumed.
The BeIN package would be "available" and
"normal charges will apply," it said in the message. "The
provision of the beIN package will be subject to an ongoing review," it
added.
Du, another telecoms company based in Dubai,
declined to comment but also informed its customers of the easing of
restrictions on BeIN.
The UAE media regulator and BeIN Media group did
not respond to requests for comment.
The sale of BeIN's satellite receivers has been
banned in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, preventing new customers from signing up
for the service. The UAE introduced a similar ban last month.
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