Sportscasters face freelance staff competition probe
July 13, 2022
By Colin Mann
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating suspected breaches of competition law in relation to the purchase of freelance services in the production and broadcasting of sports content in the UK.
The investigation has been launched under section 25 of the Competition Act 1998 (CA98) into suspected infringements of the Chapter I prohibition of the CA98 by companies involved in the production and broadcasting of sports content.
The investigation relates to the purchase by these companies of freelance services which support the production and broadcasting of sports content in the UK.
The CMA is investigating suspected breaches of competition law by at least the following: BT Group PLC, IMG Media Limited (including Premier League Productions), ITV PLC, and Sky UK Limited.
At this stage, the CMA believes it has reasonable grounds to suspect one or more breaches of competition law. The CMA has not reached a view as to whether there is sufficient evidence of an infringement of competition law for it to issue a statement of objections to any party or parties. Not all cases result in the CMA issuing a statement of objections and no assumption should be made at this stage that the CA98 has been infringed.