Italy court scraps fine against Mediaset in TV soccer rights case

ROME (Reuters) - An Italian court has ruled in favour of Mediaset in a case involving TV soccer rights, scrapping a fine of 51.4 million euros (44.09 million pounds) imposed on the broadcaster earlier this year, a court document showed on Friday.

In April Italy's competition watchdog fined Mediaset and Sky Italia, a unit of Sky Plc, for violating competition laws in the 2014 sale of football rights for 2015-2018.

Sources close to the matter said the court had also annulled fines of 4 million euros imposed on Sky Italia and 9 million euros on soccer rights firm Infront.

Italy's competition watchdog plans to appeal the decision on Friday by the Lazio region's administrative court, a spokesman for the antitrust authority said.

(Reporting by Alberto Sisto and Elvira Pollina,)