Finland may intervene in Elisa and MTV contract dispute

Finland’s Minister of Sports Mika Poutala has signalled that the government may step in if telecom operator Elisa and broadcaster MTV fail to resolve their contract dispute, which has left major sporting events, including the ongoing FIFA World Cup, unavailable to hundreds of thousands of viewers on Elisa’s platforms.

Under a government decree, socially significant events must be broadcast on free-to-air channels. Poutala told Yle that if the companies cannot reach an agreement and the decree is not complied with, the government will assess whether intervention is necessary.

“We want to ensure that the decree is followed. Of course, I primarily hope that the negotiations find a solution,” Poutala said.

Elisa’s consumer business director Henri Korpi stated that the company is ready to broadcast programmes for free, as it did before the dispute, and that Elisa is not making any demands. “We would like to continue broadcasting programmes as before so that the objectives of the decree are met,” Korpi said.

MTV’s managing director Johannes Leppänen confirmed in a text message that negotiations are ongoing and efforts are being made to resolve the situation.

Poutala emphasised the importance of sports broadcasting for national cohesion, noting that events like the World Cup foster a sense of community. He plans to discuss the matter with Transport and Communications Minister Lulu Rantee to evaluate next steps if no resolution is found.