Football Fans in Qatar May Not be Able to Watch World Cup Matches on TV
Qatari football fans have nowhere to watch the World Cup because Doha hotels won’t pay $24,000 to show every game in every restaurant and bar.
Fans who booked moderately priced hotels in Qatar for the World Cup will not have live broadcasts in their rooms.
Hotels in Doha opted not to display games after realizing they would have to pay the host broadcaster BeIN Sports $24,000 per restaurant or bar. Hotels took this decision after learning they must.
Even though it’s hard to forecast how much in-room entertainment will cost, many hotels consider such expenditures as futile because there’s no set price. Owners of rental homes and flats may also bear the fees.
Even the most cheap aluminum cabins in Doha (at least £176 per night) are too expensive for many supporters to fly there.
Sports enthusiasts who pay £400 per night for a hotel room are disappointed because there are no in-room or restaurant/pub broadcasts.
Hotels in Doha were informed they couldn’t screen World Cup matches after BeIN Sports proposed a £24,000 fine each bar or restaurant that did so.
BeIN Sports wants to charge fans to watch the World Cup.
Due to the limited means to enjoy the event, it should be a priority to broadcast the games worldwide.
Viewers may have to stay in rental houses, apartments, motels, or other places without TVs. Blackouts might cause this.
The government of Qatar is apparently considering decreasing rates and increasing the hours its sixty licensed hotels may offer alcoholic drinks during the World Cup, from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. The tournament would see these modifications.
This is a major step forward for a country where it’s illegal to sell alcohol before 7 p.m. and where restrictions are considerably stricter on Fridays, the day of prayer.
In a memo distributed to all allowed enterprises, government authorities requested extended hours. They also sought for thoughts on a possible short-term alcohol price cut.
A pint of beer or wine costs $12 to £9, although is usually in that range. Even with the circular, most people believe Qatar will charge $7–$8.
Fans are invited to join the official FIFA Fan Zone at Doha’s seafront Al Bidda Park from 6.30 p.m. to 1 a.m.
40,000 seats won’t be enough to handle the one million tourists expected to visit Qatar this year, especially because they won’t have anything to do while not at the game.
The Arcadia fan site, with DJs and space for 15,000, sells alcoholic beverages from 10 to 5 a.m.
The daily admittance price might approach $75. Huge new “cabin villages” won’t have restaurants or bars.
Doha’s four-mile beach is a prominent tourist attraction.
BeIN Sports couldn’t provide hotel relationships owing to confidentiality. It did made it clear that it needed to recuperate at least a portion of the money it spent on production, broadcasting rights, and technological infrastructure.
The broadcaster expects the games would boost hotel income and foot traffic in Doha. Previous World Cup and tournament broadcasters reportedly employed similar pricing.
According to rumors, BeIN and other firms with sports broadcasting rights must offer them for free.
