RAF CASERT, AP Sports Writer
AP Worldstream
10-18-2005
Dateline: BRUSSELS, Belgium
The European Union on Tuesday warned the Premier League it will have to share out its live television rights, one of the richest contracts in European sports, to at least two broadcasters as of 2007.
EU Antitrust Commissioner Neelie Kroes was meeting with England's Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore Tuesday and called on him to honor a deal the league made in 2003 to get live soccer on more channels.
The EU's executive commission has far-reaching powers to enforce fair trade practices in the 25-nation EU, and can impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company's annual global turnover.
'They have to demonstrate to the commission that the way in which they will sell the rights will result in at least two broadcasters having a viable and meaningful share of the rights,' EU Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said. Kroes has already warned that she would file antitrust charges if the Premier League fails to comply.
The meeting between Scudamore and Kroes was seen as a last chance for the Premier League to come up with a new proposal that would soothe EU concerns.
Pay-TV station British Sky Broadcasting Group _ owned by Australian-born media mogul Rupert Murdoch _ has held the exclusive broadcast rights to live soccer games for the last 13 years. The satellite broadcaster dominates Britain's pay-TV market with close to eight million subscribers.
Last year, the EU Commission agreed to BSkyB keeping its monopoly until 2007 on the conditions that the 2007-2010 contract would offer substantial packages to a second bidder.
Todd said the commission had never imposed a 50-percent cap on the contract. 'We want the Premier League to honor the commitment it gave in 2003 there would be more than one broadcaster,' he said.
In 2003, the Premier League awarded a 1.024-billion pound (euro1.495 billion; US$1.798 billion) exclusive deal to BSkyB from 2004 to 2007. The EU complained there was too little soccer left for free TV.
The Premier League claims the deal it offered EU regulators in July adheres to EU guidelines.
British newspapers have reported that BSkyB's nearest rival, NTL Inc., plans to offer about 200 million pounds (euro292 million; $US351 million) to screen some matches if BSkyB's monopoly is broken.
Copyright 2005, AP News All Rights Reserved
AP Worldstream
10-18-2005
Dateline: BRUSSELS, Belgium
The European Union on Tuesday warned the Premier League it will have to share out its live television rights, one of the richest contracts in European sports, to at least two broadcasters as of 2007.
EU Antitrust Commissioner Neelie Kroes was meeting with England's Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore Tuesday and called on him to honor a deal the league made in 2003 to get live soccer on more channels.
The EU's executive commission has far-reaching powers to enforce fair trade practices in the 25-nation EU, and can impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company's annual global turnover.
'They have to demonstrate to the commission that the way in which they will sell the rights will result in at least two broadcasters having a viable and meaningful share of the rights,' EU Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said. Kroes has already warned that she would file antitrust charges if the Premier League fails to comply.
The meeting between Scudamore and Kroes was seen as a last chance for the Premier League to come up with a new proposal that would soothe EU concerns.
Pay-TV station British Sky Broadcasting Group _ owned by Australian-born media mogul Rupert Murdoch _ has held the exclusive broadcast rights to live soccer games for the last 13 years. The satellite broadcaster dominates Britain's pay-TV market with close to eight million subscribers.
Last year, the EU Commission agreed to BSkyB keeping its monopoly until 2007 on the conditions that the 2007-2010 contract would offer substantial packages to a second bidder.
Todd said the commission had never imposed a 50-percent cap on the contract. 'We want the Premier League to honor the commitment it gave in 2003 there would be more than one broadcaster,' he said.
In 2003, the Premier League awarded a 1.024-billion pound (euro1.495 billion; US$1.798 billion) exclusive deal to BSkyB from 2004 to 2007. The EU complained there was too little soccer left for free TV.
The Premier League claims the deal it offered EU regulators in July adheres to EU guidelines.
British newspapers have reported that BSkyB's nearest rival, NTL Inc., plans to offer about 200 million pounds (euro292 million; $US351 million) to screen some matches if BSkyB's monopoly is broken.
Copyright 2005, AP News All Rights Reserved
