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An Italian court has rejected an appeal against Sky Italia’s right to televise Serie A games.

The appeal, filed by satellite operator Conto TV, claimed that the way the Serie A rights were sold to the News Corp-owned station was unfair.

But Judge Claudio Marangoni rejected an appeal to have the deal between Sky Italia and Lego Calcio suspended.

"It does not appear that Conto TV has suffered particular disadvantages," Judge Marangoni wrote in his ruling.

Earlier this month, Lega Calcio had warned that Serie A clubs faced the prospect of going out of business if the league lost out in the case.

Conto had attempted to bid for the Serie A rights but claimed the 1.149bn Euro agreement with Sky Italia was reached "without competition in the digital satellite sphere".

But Maurizio Beretta, president of Lega Calcio, said: “We were always convinced that we operated holding into account the indications of the Melandri Law, Agcom [Communications Authority], Antitrust and also of the European authority.

“It goes without saying that the Serie A rights will also prove a fundamental help for the activity of Serie B, Lega Pro and of football in general. This is therefore a victory for the whole of Italian football and following the recent victory of Inter [Milan] in the Uefa Champions League shows the strength of its organisation.”