The Asian Football Confederation "has been forced to step in to protect the integrity and rights of its commercial partners following reported incidents" concerning beIN Sports having had its coverage of the Saudi Arabia vs. Japan World Cup qualifier disrupted, according to Paul Nicholson of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. The "facts of the dispute are far from clear," with differing stories coming out of the region, however the incidents "were deemed serious enough for the AFC to issue a statement" saying that it had initiated investigations following "reports of breaches of regulations" at the matches. With "the backdrop of the Saudi and UAE blockade of Qatar," the AFC in the weeks preceding the match emphasized the importance of its commercial rights contracts and the regulations that host nations have "agreed to abide by" to fulfill those competition commitments. BeIN Sports believes its rights have been infringed "in an explosive row that threatens to become more politically driven than football based." While beIN Sports claimed that one of its reporters "was excluded from covering the match," the Saudi Arabian Football Federation issued a statement saying that "no media were excluded from covering the match with Japan," including the beIN Sports reporter (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 9/8).
