The English Football League and Scottish Professional Football League have launched formal investigations into what appears to be the systematic illegal broadcast of their matches in Russia, with both organisations understood to be considering legal action against the broadcaster responsible.

Football TV, a Russian subscription and streaming service, has shown live coverage of numerous EFL fixtures across the opening two rounds of this season, as well as several Scottish Premiership games involving Celtic, Rangers and Hearts. The broadcasts were promoted on Football TV's Telegram channel, suggesting little attempt was made to conceal the activity.

Rights packages suspended since 2022

Both leagues severed their broadcasting relationships with Russia in March 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine the previous month. The EFL had previously held a rights contract with Football TV itself, while the Scottish Premiership had been shown on Match TV. Neither organisation has sold rights packages into the country since. The Premier League similarly suspended its Russian broadcasts at the same time, where rights had been held by Okko Sport.

With no legitimate rights arrangement in place, the live footage currently appearing on Russian screens has apparently been obtained and distributed without the consent of the leagues or their broadcast partners.

Complaint ignored as more matches aired

The EFL moved quickly once alerted to the situation, contacting Football TV last week after it emerged that Cardiff's 1-1 draw with Wrexham and Watford's 2-1 win over Southampton had both been screened. That complaint, however, appears to have been disregarded entirely. This past weekend, West Ham's clash with Charlton and West Brom's fixture against Burnley were also broadcast — both listed on Football TV's schedules as so-called test events.

That designation has raised particular alarm. Listing those Championship games as test events suggests Football TV may be laying the groundwork to broadcast Premier League content illegally as well, a prospect that will concern the top flight's rights holders and clubs considerably.

Charlton's win at West Ham was among the Championship matches shown, a fixture that would ordinarily attract a reasonable domestic audience and carries obvious broadcast value — none of which, in this case, was being channelled back to the leagues or the clubs involved.

Investigation ongoing, source of pirated feed sought

Both the EFL and SPFL are focused first on stopping the broadcasts entirely, while simultaneously working to identify exactly how Football TV is obtaining access to the live footage. The SPFL is conducting its investigation alongside Infront, its broadcasting distribution rights holder, which will likely have its own commercial and legal interests in the matter.

Both organisations are understood to reserve the right to pursue legal action against Football TV and against whoever is supplying the service with access to their matches. Enforcing such action across jurisdictions, particularly involving a Russian entity at a time of heavily strained diplomatic and commercial relationships, is unlikely to be straightforward — but the message being sent is clearly one of intent.

Neither the EFL nor the SPFL offered a public comment when approached, which is understandable given that formal legal considerations are now in play. What is clear, though, is that the situation has moved well beyond an administrative oversight. These are deliberate broadcasts of content that both leagues explicitly withdrew from the Russian market four years ago, for reasons that remain entirely valid.

Clubs like Cardiff, Watford, Charlton and West Brom — none of them flush with broadcast revenue at the best of times — are seeing their matches shown to Russian subscribers without a penny returning to the game in this country. That alone should sharpen minds considerably.

Frequently asked

Why did the EFL and SPFL stop broadcasting in Russia?
Both leagues suspended their Russian broadcast rights packages in March 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. No rights have been sold into Russia since that point.
Which matches were shown illegally in Russia?
According to reports, Football TV broadcast several EFL fixtures including Cardiff v Wrexham, Watford v Southampton, West Ham v Charlton, and West Brom v Burnley, as well as Scottish Premiership matches involving Celtic, Rangers and Hearts.
Could Football TV face legal action from English and Scottish football?
Both the EFL and SPFL are understood to reserve the right to take legal action against Football TV and any party supplying it with access to their matches. However, enforcing such action against a Russian entity presents obvious practical and jurisdictional challenges.