The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) has concluded its investigation into a possible restriction of competition in the Finnish Hockey League (Liiga). During the investigation, Liiga (Jääkiekon SM-liiga Oy) implemented several changes to how the SM-liiga is organised, which are expected to improve the conditions for effective competition going forward.
FCCA opened the investigation in 2024 to determine whether the SM-liiga had been organised in a way that restricts economic competition. The FCCA examined the matter, among other things on the basis of documents it had obtained from Liiga. The FCCA also received a request to act from the Finnish Ice Hockey Players’ Association (Suomen Jääkiekkoilijat ry) to investigate the matter.
In its preliminary assessment, the FCCA identified competition concerns related to Liiga’s unrestricted discretionary powers and to a licensing condition in the SM-liiga rules that, required a club entering the league to acquire a league share at what Liiga considered to be market price.
By virtue of its unrestricted powers, Liiga has been able to control the number of teams promoted to the SM-liiga and to prevent relegation from the SM-liiga to Mestis. In practice, Liiga has thus been able to determine who may access the market and how strong the competition faced by market participants will be.
Changes increase effective competition
During FCCA’s investigation, Liiga decided to limit its own powers. For example, licence conditions will from now on be approved and applied by a party external to Liiga. According to the FCCA’s assessment, these reform measures will restrict Liiga’s powers so that Liiga cannot exercise them arbitrarily or in a way that restricts competition.
Liiga also decided that, in future, participation in the SM-liiga may be based on a licence fee model, meaning clubs will not be obliged to purchase a league share. Consequently, clubs seeking to enter the SM-liiga will no longer need to commit to a requirement that could potentially restrict competition.
In addition, Liiga has decided on other significant changes to the organisation of the SM-liiga. From the 2027–2028 season onwards, Liiga will move to a two-tier league system in which movement between tiers will occur through direct promotion and relegation, without separate qualification rounds.
“Overall, the changes proposed by Liiga improve the conditions for effective competition. We will now monitor how the changes are implemented."
There is no need to continue the investigation, and the FCCA will close the case.
FCCA will continue to monitor developments in sports markets and intervene, if necessary, in actions that restrict competition.
SM-liiga has previously been investigated
The authority has previously examined conduct related to the SM-liiga where Liiga and member clubs had agreed not to employ players who at the time were playing for Jokerit in the KHL during the season. In 2019, FCCA found that the agreement not to sign the players was contrary to competition law and ordered the league actors to cease the practice.