There has been a sizeable drop in the number of pubs screening football via foreign satellite systems, after two foreign broadcasters within Europe stopped sending signals to the UK.
Greek-operated Nova and DigitAlb from Albania ended broadcasts of 3pm games at the start of the current season after pressure from the Premier League. Other pubs have stopped showing matches because of unreliable service from pirated cards sourced outside the EU.
The move means pubs showing games via Sky commercial contracts benefit because there is less competition from pubs using cheaper foreign satellites.
One satellite supplier, Euroview Sport, run by Crown Awnings boss Tony Holman, said pub screenings of Saturday 3pm games are down on last season.
"There are fewer Saturday afternoon games being screened simply because fewer foreign stations are showing them."
He said other licensees may be wary of taking on foreign systems because of legal issues expected to be clarified in the forthcoming Murphy test case, in the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
The court is due to rule on the legality of licensees using decoder cards to screen matches from foreign stations. Host Karen Murphy's appeal against her conviction for foreign satellite screenings was referred to the ECJ last July.
Media Protection Services (MPS), which investigates foreign satellite screenings, has warned that it will continue to gather evidence about foreign screenings with the aim of taking action after the ECJ hearing.
Holman said it was "almost impossible" to determine how many foreign cards were currently in circulation across the UK. "There may be 3,000 cards sourced from within the EU, but there could be another 3,000 pirated from other sources."
Most users are tenants and lessees with only a relative few believed to be in use in houses operated by big managed pub chains.
Meanwhile, MPS has said anti-money-laundering laws will be used to pursue foreign satellite suppliers that let pubs show football if the ECJ rules against Murphy.
Former Metropolitan police officer David Eyles, who has joined MPS as operations director, also revealed that prosecutions are currently being brought against up to 30 licensees for screening games via foreign broadcasts based outside the EU.
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