A licensee feels he was treated like a second-class citizen after a TV provider refused to install Sky in his living area in case it was piped into his pub.
Mick Emery, of the freehold Ravensfield Arms in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, — who currently pays £609 per month for Sky in his pub — called Top Up TV to get the £19 deal that would let him have Sky Sports 1 & 2, ESPN and other channels for the flat above his pub.
Emery said he was told that Top Up TV has an agreement with Sky not to sell football packages to pubs because of fears that the transmissions could be piped down to the trading area.
"That offends me," he said. "It's labelling me as dishonest. I'm not a second-class citizen. Being a licensee is my profession, but I'm entitled to a normal domestic life and in my day off I'm entitled to watch what I want."
A spokesman for Top Up TV said it would review the case. "Our agreement is to demonstrate to Sky that Sky Sports from Top Up TV is solely for domestic viewing.
"We need to be extremely rigorous in ensuring that Top Up and our customers are protected from prosecution and claims for compensation."