Is Mexico’s soccer league a monopoly? Antitrust officials are looking to find out
The antitrust investigation was triggered by Liga MX's decision to scrap the system of promoting teams from — and demoting them to — the second-tier Liga Expansión, effectively freezing out newcomers from top-flight competition. The post Is Mexico’s soccer league a monopoly? Antitrust officials are looking to find out appeared first on Mexico News Daily
The National Antitrust Commission (CNA) in Mexico has launched an investigation into Liga MX, the country's premier professional soccer league, to determine if the league and its affiliated teams are engaging in monopolistic practices. This probe comes after the CNA identified potential violations of the Federal Law of Economic Competition. The investigation aims to scrutinize the league's control over aspects such as participation, competition, and organization within professional football competitions.
Jose Manuel Haro Zepeda, head of the CNA's Investigative Authority, explained to MVSNoticias the methods they employ to examine the structure and access to these competitions in Mexico. The recent decision by Liga MX to abandon the promotion/relegation system between the top division and the second-tier Liga Expansión, along with the cancellation of payouts to lower divisions, is believed to be a key factor in the investigation.
This move was implemented in 2020 to shield clubs from financial losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, Liga Expansión and its supporters strongly opposed this decision, even taking legal action with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ruled that promotion/relegation should be reinstated for the 2026-27 season.
Critics argue that the league's monopolization of television broadcasting rights is another potential area of concern. The CNA has emphasized that no specific defendants have been identified yet, and the investigation is designed to ascertain whether competition laws are being adhered to. The probe may last up to 120 business days, but can be extended if needed.
Throughout this process, the CNA reserves the right to request documents, conduct site visits, summon witnesses, and perform inspections. Should the investigation conclude that monopolistic practices exist, Liga MX and its member teams could face penalties equivalent to up to 10% of their annual revenue, along with a mandate to rectify any identified monopolistic behaviors.
Written by urgent.news from Mexico News Daily's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
