Fifa and Uefa lose pay-TV rights appeal
Fifa and Uefa have lost an appeal against a ruling that the World Cup and European football championships must be shown on free-to-air television in the UK.
It follows a 2011 ruling when the European General Court said the UK could maintain the events on its list of protected events, the so-called Crown Jewels of national events.
The judgment said that while only certain broadcasters operating free-to-air channels would be able to bid for the rights, the effect had been created by opting for a business model focusing on exclusive rights.
The two competitions cannot now be sold to pay-TV companies on an exclusive basis. The football bodies had argued that by excluding the pay-TV companies they were unable to achieve the full market value of the tournaments.
The BBC and ITV had already obtained exclusivity on the 2014 World Cup.
Fifa and Uefa have lost an appeal against a ruling that the World Cup and European football championships must be shown on free-to-air television in the UK.
It follows a 2011 ruling when the European General Court said the UK could maintain the events on its list of protected events, the so-called Crown Jewels of national events.
The judgment said that while only certain broadcasters operating free-to-air channels would be able to bid for the rights, the effect had been created by opting for a business model focusing on exclusive rights.
The two competitions cannot now be sold to pay-TV companies on an exclusive basis. The football bodies had argued that by excluding the pay-TV companies they were unable to achieve the full market value of the tournaments.
The BBC and ITV had already obtained exclusivity on the 2014 World Cup.