beIN Sport, run by the Qatari regime, has been the victim of piracy by Saudi Arabia’s broadcasters

English football’s biggest overseas broadcast partner has written to the Premier League and its 20 clubs urging them to block the sale of Newcastle United to a Saudi-led consortium.

Newcastle’s owner Mike Ashley has agreed a £300 million sale to a consortium backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, but beIN Sport has warned that the country’s involvement in piracy of Premier League matches threatens the future prosperity of the game’s richest league.

The move by beIN presents a significant threat to the takeover being approved by the Premier League, given that its three-year TV deal is worth £500 million to the 20 clubs.

The letter, which has been seen by The Times, points out that the Premier League has made unsuccessful attempts to