Sky and Brussels at war over Premiership rights
Posted in News on Sunday September 11th, 2005 2:50pm
From the Observer:
The Premier League is on a collision course with Europe’s competition authorities after refusing to change the way it sells its television rights. ITV, the BBC and other broadcasters are hoping a change will end BSkyB’s stranglehold over live matches.
The European Commission’s competition directorate confirmed last night it would be sending the league a statement of objections - the first stage of legal action against it alleging ‘restrictive business practice’ and anti-competitive behaviour, ‘within the next few weeks’.
League chiefs have already agreed to let a second TV operator start sharing live broadcasts from 2007, ending Sky’s 13-year monopoly. But while the EC wants no channel to screen more than half the 138 televised fixtures - which could seriously damage Sky’s subscription-based business - the Premier League is trying to ensure that its new broadcasting partner shows only a small number of games.
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