FIFA and UEFA lose legal battle over TV coverage

A European Union high court has ruled that countries can keep all World Cup and European Championship games on free television, arguing against FIFA and UEFA, which sought the right to sell most matches to pay television.

Even though the General Court of the European Union acknowledged that the broadcasting rights to the competitions ''constitutes a major source of their incomes,'' it said that the World Cup and European Championship were ''single events'' that could not be divvied up at will.

Limiting the whole tournament to free television affects the income the federation can draw from their prime tournaments.