BSkyB Will Lose Monopoly Over Premier League Matches, Says Man Utd

Manchester United is positive that live television rights to Premiership matches will be taken from BSkyB when the contract is renewed this year. The football club, announcing its half-year results yesterday, reportedly said that the new rights deal for the games would be split between operators.

The rights to live Premier League games have been monopolised by BSkyB for the last four years. Its current deal, however, expires at the end of the current season and talks for a new contract are expected to commence next month. There have been two reports that Sky has made preemptive bids for the rights but the broadcaster has denied the claims on both occasions (see Sky Denies Premier League Bid For A Second Time).

There have been calls for the rights to the matches to be made available over a number of platforms rather than monopolised by one operator. The former chief executive of the Premier League, Peter Leaver, made a pledge to make live coverage of the games available on as many channels as possible (see Premier League Pledges Live Football For All), but a spokesperson for the League more recently said that this promise was no longer binding (see Negotiations Over Premier League TV Rights Imminent).

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