UK pubs cannot be prevented from using foreign decoder cards to show live Premier League football matches under European Union (EU) law, according to a legal adviser.

In a non-binding opinion, advocate general Juliane Kokott said the sale of TV broadcasting rights based on territorial exclusivity "impaired" the freedom to offer services. Kokott said: "The marketing of broadcasting rights on the basis of territorial exclusivity is tantamount to profiting from the elimination of the internal market."

However, the verdict is not binding on the European Court of Justice, which is currently considering two cases relating to the use of foreign decoder cards. One of the cases involves Karen Murphy, a pub landlady from Portsmouth who was fined for using a Greece-based subscription to screen live football.

Sky Sports and ESPN currently hold UK rights to broadcast Premier League fixtures.