JD Sports and Leicester City FC colluded to restrict competition in the sale of the club’s branded clothing and replica kits, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally found.

Release of the findings follows admissions by Leicester City FC and JD Sports that they broke competition law over three football seasons, with Leicester City agreeing to pay a fine of up to £880,000 in line with the watchdog’s settlement policy.

The CMA’s provisional assessment of the situation – concluding an investigation which began in 2021 – found that several competition breaches occurred over three football seasons.

The pair’s market sharing conduct resulted in JD largely stopping online sales of Leicester City FC products for 2018/19 season.

Under price fixing conduct, JD Sports agreed to exempt Leicester City FC clothing from any free delivery offers for the 2019/2020 season and during part of the 2020/21 season.

Michael Grenfell, executive director of enforcement at the CMA said that “strong and unimpeded” competition between retailers is essential in consumers’ ability to get the best deals.

“The fine that Leicester City FC and its parent companies have agreed to pay sends a clear message to them and other businesses that anti-competitive collusion will not be tolerated,” she said.

In a statement, Leicester City FC said: "There was no intention on the part of the Club to unlawfully restrict the resale of the goods supplied and no material financial advantage to be gained from doing so, given the limited amount of kit supplied to JD Sports."

Retail Systems has also reached out to JD Sports for comment.

The CMA’s findings mark the second time in recent years that JD Sports has been embroiled in a scandal. Last year, the company was fined £1.5 million over fixing prices of Rangers football club merchandise.

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