Pubs warned not to show Saturday afternoon matches
Licensees are being warned to be wary of companies which claim to be able to supply Saturday afternoon games legally.
With the new football season just four weeks away, firms are believed to be contacting pubs claiming there are loopholes enabling them to show Saturday afternoon football.
But under an agreement with football governing body UEFA and European law, it is illegal to screen English matches which kick-off at 3pm on a Saturday.
A spokesman for the FA Premier League told The Publican: "Some suppliers claim there are loopholes, but there are none."
The current "closed period", when it is illegal for pubs to show matches, is 2.45pm to 5.15pm.
"Our message to licensees would be: 'you are putting your licence and livelihood at risk by using these suppliers'," added the spokesman. "If you are found guilty of something like this, it can have a serious impact on your business."
Over the past year, the FA has had "a lot of success" with prosecutions, he claimed.
Jim Angell, director of operations at the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), said when service providers such as Art Sports are used, the copyright is usually for countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The system can only be used in the country in which it is licensed, he added.
"The system is used with the blessing of the FA and if it's used outside of that it breaks the agreement of copyright," he said.
But one company The Publican contacted, which offers licensees Saturday afternoon football via Arts Sports, a company which has the rights to broadcast abroad, is remaining defiant.
Mike, who refused to give his surname, from pubfootball.co.uk, said: "For me to supply it is legitimate, it's up to publicans to decide if they want to broadcast at 3pm. That's not up to me.
"People do ask whether it's legal and I tell them they have to be aware and that it's a black zone as far as the FA is concerned."
- Any licensees concerned over copyright issues can contact FACT on 020 8568 6646.
