Show Premier League football the right way

They play a huge role in making our competition available to hundreds of thousands of fans, and by doing so via Sky Sports and BT Sport they are doing it the right way.

They guarantee that high-quality broadcasts are on offer to fans, and they support the Premier League, and the entire football pyramid.

We know that there are suppliers trying to sell publicans all sorts of unauthorised foreign systems to show our matches in their pubs. And we know that they tell pubs that they are ‘legal’ and that there is ‘nothing to worry about’. This is not true. There is plenty to worry about.

Showing our Premier League matches in a pub other than through the medium of Sky Sports or BT Sport is a huge risk and leaves licensees open to legal action.

Misleading​

We do recognise that suppliers are lying to and deliberately misleading publicans and that it can be difficult for them in the face of such pressure. However we have to protect our competition, and the law is now very clear.

In recent months two pubs have been ordered by the High Court to pay £65,000 in damages and costs for broadcasting Premier League football on unauthorised foreign TV systems. One was using a Danish system, the other an Al Jazeera one meant for use in the Middle East.

It is only through selling broadcasting rights, and those rights being legitimately broadcast by Sky Sports and BT Sport, that our clubs can invest in the players, managers and stadia that make our competition so popular, and make fans want to come into pubs and watch in the first place.

Rest assured, the Premier League is focused on addressing any illegal activities in relation to our football and that includes when suppliers are behaving this way. This season has seen a big increase in our enforcement programme and this will be even greater next season.

Quality​

So when suppliers come into your pubs over the summer offering you unauthorised foreign systems please have a real think about it.

Think about the quality of broadcasts offered by Sky Sports and BT Sport, think about the £65,000 that two pubs have been ordered to pay by the High Court, think about whether the supplier will still be there in a few months’ time, think about whether you want your unauthorised feed to be switched off half way through a game, and before you make a decision be sure to give Sky and BT a call.

Richard Scudamore is chief executive of the Premier League.​