SPORTS LAW, football fears Murphy's Law

An English landlady does not want to be dictated, in which country they bought their TV subscription. Win it before the ECJ, leagues and associations would lose power and money.

Who wants to buy a car, you can choose the dealer. "But if I want a subscription to live football," said Karen Murphy, "I need to purchase it in England and pay ten times as much as elsewhere in Europe." That this is a valid law, does not accept the British economist. Therefore it is fighting before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg.

Mrs. Murphy had a favor to their guests of their pubs in Portsmouth for a subscription to broadcast the Premier League acquired the Greek broadcaster Nova, which was significantly cheaper than that of the national pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB. Then came the Media Protection Services Ltd, a provider of Premier League action against Murphy - and won in two instances. For the fourth October, the Court announced a ruling that would finally clarify whether it is permissible for an EU citizen to get a pay-TV subscription in a member country of his choice.

The officials of the Premier League to see the decision to meet with tension because of the enormous pay-TV fees are the foundation that the league has been booming for two decades, and collect international stars represent the highest salaries in the world. 1.78 billion pounds of getting the Premier League is currently a season by Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB and ESPN. If bail but many customers of the station because they know they can subscribe to Greece or anywhere else cheaper, and may also have consequences for the clubs: BSkyB them because of declining revenue would not pay what you have been paid.

Mrs. Murphy and her supporters from the restaurant to bring the Premier League and therefore on the palm, because they make their games accessible to guests who can not see the brave British pay-TV subscriber, and specifically those from the English league. In our own country offers the Premier League so far that is only 138 of the 380 season games (115 at BSkyB and 23 on ESPN), however, all abroad.

Little left to see the league manager and therefore contrary to the verdict, because the Advocate General Juliane Kokott in February, the judge in her opinion put forward a clear proposal as Murphy has. In their view, violates the existing pay-TV rights and practice of EU law. Background: If a league concludes with a transmitter into an agreement, it must now assure that he sold his decoder and the required card only in his field. This walk but also to "the elimination of the internal market to make profits," says Kokott. The competition will be prevented, restricted or distorted. What should Kokott is important, as in three out of four cases the judge to set their recommendations.