beIN SPORTS Refiles FCC Complaint Against Comcast

beIN SPORTS has refiled a carriage complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) against Comcast.

beIN SPORTS originally filed a complaint back in March, alleging that Comcast has “ignored its obligations as a vertically integrated multichannel video programming distributor and discriminated against beIN SPORTS as an independent network in favor of its own soccer content and other sports programming to the detriment of beIN SPORTS and its viewers, violating program carriage rules.”

The FCC dismissed the initial complaint, claiming the evidence did not allow sufficient certainty on certain matters.

In its new filing, beIN SPORTS says it provides more detail and “robust evidence for Comcast’s discriminatory practices” against it.

“We have spent many months tirelessly trying to negotiate reasonable terms with Comcast, but Comcast has now, point-blank, refused to negotiate with us,” said Antonio Briceño, beIN SPORTS’ deputy managing director for the U.S. and Canada. “Thus, beIN SPORTS has refiled our carriage complaint against Comcast, providing additional evidence, consistent with FCC guidance, to substantiate Comcast’s discriminatory practices against beIN SPORTS and in favor of their NBC affiliates. Unfortunately, this is a continued strategy of leveraging large, vertically integrated cable carriers against smaller networks like ours to the detriment of devoted, loyal fans.”

Briceño added: “As a network that puts sports fans first, beIN SPORTS USA is committed to providing our passionate viewers with equal access to the world-class sports coverage and content they deserve. We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached to reinstate beIN SPORTS at the same levels of distribution as Comcast’s own sports networks with which beIN SPORTS simply seeks to compete on a fair basis.”