Crisis meeting over TV rights row

The Premier League will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow because of problems with the latest television deal.

The £1billion rights package agreed with Sky for three years from next season has upset the European Commission and could be the subject of a lengthy legal battle and a formal investigation.

EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti has criticised the length of the agreement and the results of a probe into the way rights are sold collectively will be released shortly.

The Premier League are in consultation with the commission to avoid formal charges being filed against them. If they go ahead with charges, a challenge to the process would be likely because some club chairman believe that the changes likely to be demanded could cost the Premier League more than £ 100million a year.

The European Commission favoured one-year pay-TV contracts over three-year deals and Monti has expressed reservations about Sky winning live rights during summer negotiations to all Premiership games from August 2004 to May 2007.

Monti said earlier this week: "The exclusivity of a contract does not necessarily hurt competition, but the duration and the scope can create more serious problems and shut down the market. With regard to duration, the Commission maintains that contracts of one season are generally acceptable."