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| Fifa loses free-to-air World Cup TV battle | Fifa loses free-to-air World Cup TV battle |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Fifa and Uefa have lost an appeal against a European ruling that the World Cup and Euro Championships must be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK. | Fifa and Uefa have lost an appeal against a European ruling that the World Cup and Euro Championships must be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK. |
| In 2011, the European General Court said the UK could keep the events on a list of "protected" events of national sporting interest broadcast for free. | In 2011, the European General Court said the UK could keep the events on a list of "protected" events of national sporting interest broadcast for free. |
| It means the two tournaments cannot be sold exclusively to pay-TV firms. | It means the two tournaments cannot be sold exclusively to pay-TV firms. |
| Fifa and Uefa had appealed, after saying they could not sell the events fairly for their real value. | Fifa and Uefa had appealed, after saying they could not sell the events fairly for their real value. |
| But the European Court of Justice - Europe's Supreme Court - has now said the original decision in the General Court (formerly Court of First Instance) in 2011 was correct. | But the European Court of Justice - Europe's Supreme Court - has now said the original decision in the General Court (formerly Court of First Instance) in 2011 was correct. |
| The BBC and ITV had already secured the rights to broadcast the football World Cup finals in 2014, and they were guaranteed of being shown free-to-air. | The BBC and ITV had already secured the rights to broadcast the football World Cup finals in 2014, and they were guaranteed of being shown free-to-air. |
| But there had been fears that moves towards a pay-TV model would have been in place in time for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, should Fifa and Uefa have won their case. | But there had been fears that moves towards a pay-TV model would have been in place in time for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, should Fifa and Uefa have won their case. |
| The court said it "dismisses the appeals brought by Fifa and Uefa in their entirety". |