Sky faces EC block over football rights

BSKYB faces European Commission opposition after it emerged that it was the only bidder for the main packages of rights to live football matches.

Earlier this month, Sky agreed to pay the Premier League £1 billion in a three-year agreement from 2004, but the EC will fight the deal on competition grounds.

The EC has given the league until early next month to prove that the latest deal was struck after a genuinely competitive tender process.

The league split the broadcast rights to its live games into four separate packages, partly to encourage greater competition. But, according to sources close to the deal, Sky was the only bidder for the two most attractive packages, which offered rights to screen matches on Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings. The EC says this is unacceptable.

TV sources say the live packages were too expensive for terrestrial broadcasters such as ITV and Channel 4. Sky chief executive Tony Ball has made it clear that he would only pay a premium price for the live rights if Sky won them exclusively.