The Office of Fair Trading today made the threat after Sport Newspapers, owner of the two tabloid titles, recently ignored an adjudication handed down by the Advertising Standards Association.
The ASA had slammed both titles for plugging a promotional magazine on the front cover for 10p and 5p, giving the impression that the actual newspapers also cost the same, said the OFT.
The Daily Sport and Sunday Sport carry a cover price of 40p and 70p respectively.
But since the ASA made the adjudication Sport Newspapers had refused to give assurances that it would abide by the ruling, prompting the latest move by the OFT to hit the publishing house with the threat of court action if it continued to flout the order.
OFT chairman Sir John Vickers said: 鈥淢isleading adverts harm consumers and fair-dealing businesses alike. Consumers need to know the score on the price of what's on offer.鈥
The OFT said today that since it became involved in the case, Sport Newspapers has promised not to run the adverts in the same guise.
A statement said: 鈥渢he company has agreed that it will not publish any advertisements that give a misleading impression of the actual price at which its newspapers are available.鈥
Sport Newspapers was unavailable for comment.
By Kevin May
OFT hits Daily Sport with court threat
The Daily Sport and Sunday Sport have been rapped on the knuckles and threatened with court action if they continue to mislead readers over the cover price of the papers.
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