Sky Kicks Off Premiership Auction After EC Ruling

An auction of broadcasting rights to several high-profile Premiership football matches will begin this week as BSkyB is forced to accept bids for some games under a ruling by the European Commission.

The broadcaster secured the rights to all 138 live Premiership games last year, despite the Premier League splitting the matches into four packages to allow several broadcasters access to the rights.

Sky’s buying power enabled the company to purchase all four packages but it has since been targeted by the European commission which has demanded that a number of games be re-sold to loosen the broadcaster’s stranglehold on the sport (see BSkyB Loses Premiership Monopoly In Football Shake-Up).

The auction will see eight of the most high profile matches being released from Sky’s control and sub-licensed to rival broadcasters. It is understood that BSkyB does not expect the selling of the games to hit the growth of its 7.2 million subscriber base.

Sky had originally paid more than £1 billion for its package of matches, which run from next season to 2007. However its wall to wall purchasing strategy lead to the company being branded anti-competitive and the EC’s demands that it release control of some matches.

Among those believed to be interested in purchasing the rights from Sky include ITV and Irish pay-television channel Setanta. Cable operators NTL and Telewest are also rumoured to be preparing bids. The next rights sale must ensure at least two broadcasters screen live Premiership football, to alleviate concerns that fans do not have a wide enough choice.

Sky: 08702 40 40 40 www.sky.com

Recent Television Stories from NewsLine Channel 4 Head Rules Out A Move To The BBC ITV Announces New-Media Sales Appointments Investor Backlash Could Force ITV Directors Out

Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive