Live Premier League broadcast ruling could open door to foreign broadcasters
Pubs could be allowed to screen live Premier Leagues matches from foreign broadcasters following a ruling by an advocate general for the European Court of Justice.
Advocate general of the European court Julianne Kokott has advised that EU law does not prevent pubs from screening live Premier League football through foreign broadcasters, which could pave the way for overseas media companies entering the UK sports broadcasting marketplace.
The landmark decision was taken following the appeal by landlady Karen Murphy, who found that she could not afford the rising price of subscribing to Sky Sports, and chose to use a Greek decoder to screen live matches.
TV rights for FA Premier League are sold exclusively to broadcasters across Europe and varies across each territory.
The League has been looking to clamp down on the growing number of pubs in the UK which have been turning to foreign broadcasters due to cost.
As a result of today’s ruling, country-specific broadcasting right sales could be revolutionized.