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ARTICLE · 14 OCTOBER 2011

Premier League Broadcast Tactics Ruled Off-Side By ECJ

Mayer Brown
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The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) has delivered a landmark ruling which could substantially change the business models of broadcasters and content providers and reshape the way that live sports events and other media events are offered to consumers across Europe.

United KingdomAntitrust/Competition Law
Frédérick Amiel
Frédérick Amiel
Daniel Gallagher
Daniel Gallagher
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Originally published October 13, 2011

Keywords: premier league broadcast, ECJ, landmark ruling, English Football Association Premier League, FAPL, broadcasting rights

The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) has delivered a landmark ruling which could substantially change the business models of broadcasters and content providers and reshape the way that live sports events and other media events are offered to consumers across Europe.

Joined cases C-403/08 Football Association Premier League Ltd and others v QC Leisure and others and C-429/08 Karen Murphy v Media Protection Services Ltd

The ECJ held that the English Football Association Premier League (FAPL), the body that licenses the broadcasting rights for English Premier League football matches, may not prohibit television viewers in one country from using decoder cards bought and imported from broadcasters in another country. This decision has implications for all rights holders that license their

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