United Kingdom: BBC, ITV, BT & IMG ordered to pay £4.2m for "anti-competitive arrangements"

The broadcasting groups BBC and ITV, as well as the operator BT Group and the British agency IMG, have been fined £4.2m (€5.02m) for "anti-competitive arrangements" by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), announced the latter on 21/03/2025.

"The CMA’s decision encompasses 15 separate bilateral infringements of competition law. The CMA has found in each instance the disclosure and receipt, or the exchange, of competitively sensitive information in respect of rates of pay for freelance workers that support the production and broadcasting of sports content in the UK. The CMA has further found, in 10 of these 15 instances, that the objectives of the infringements included coordination on pay," explained the Authority.

"Across the totality of the 15 infringements, information was shared concerning rates of pay for twenty production roles fulfilled by freelancers" including, in particular, assistant producers, cameramen, directors, editors, producers and sound technicians, according to the CMA.

The fine is broken down as follows:
• £1.738m (€2.077m) for BT;
• £1.737m (€2.076m) for…