The BBC, ITV, BT, and leading sports content producer IMG have been collectively fined £4.2 million for unlawfully exchanging payment information related to freelance staff working at football and rugby broadcasts.

According to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), this activity violated competition regulations and involved freelance professionals including audio specialists and camera crews.

The investigations began in 2022, initiated by intelligence from Sky, which airs a significant number of Premier League football games each season.

Sky, despite being linked to 10 separate incidents of anti-competitive conduct, avoided penalties as it was the first to approach the CMA with this information.

The broadcasters collaborated by sharing pay rates in order to suppress freelance wages—a practice that spanned from 2014 to 2021, according to the CMA. The authority stated that “in most of the cases, the clear intention was to align freelance pay rates.”

In one example, a company told another it wanted to “avoid a bidding war” and “keep pay rates aligned.” Another broadcaster expressed a desire to “show a united approach” with its competitor on freelancer compensation.

BT has been ordered to pay £1.7 million for six violations, even though it has since exited the sports broadcasting arena. IMG will also pay £1.7 million, while the BBC and ITV will pay £424,000 and £340,000 respectively. Each company received a reduced fine for cooperating early in the process.

Juliette Enser, the CMA’s director of competition enforcement, commented: “Millions rely on high-quality sports coverage, made possible by behind-the-scenes professionals who deserve fair treatment.

“Companies should independently decide on pay rates to ensure a competitive market. Failure to comply can financially impact workers. Companies must ensure their HR teams are well-versed in legal obligations to prevent such issues again.”

Meanwhile, a parallel inquiry into production firms outside of sports content has now concluded without any findings of wrongdoing. The CMA stated it had not determined whether those companies broke competition laws.

The companies involved in that separate probe were: the BBC, Hartswood Films, Hat Trick Productions, ITV, Red Planet Pictures, Sister Pictures, and Tiger Aspect Productions.

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All the sport content producers involved were asked for input.

A representative from the BBC said: “We are committed to complying with competition rules and have fully supported the CMA’s process. We place great value on our freelance workforce.”

A spokesperson for Sky stated: “We take our regulatory responsibilities seriously. When we discovered the issue, we promptly informed the CMA and fully cooperated throughout. We accept their conclusions and have enhanced internal processes to maintain compliance going forward.”

ITV chose not to provide a statement.