Premier boss looks for TV support

Lee

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Premier boss looks for TV support
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore is seeking the support of MPs as he tries to stop a European Commission shake-up of TV football.

The Commission is understood to want to limit any company's ownership to 50% of live games when a new UK broadcast deal is drawn up in two years' time.

Mr Scudamore said such a move would "damage" the game, Reuters reported.

Sky owns the current packages of live matches running until 2007, and will show 138 live matches this season.

"We believe that the solution they are trying to impose on us could seriously damage the game at all levels, harming fans and their communities," said FA Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore in a letter to British MPs and European Parliament members, obtained by Reuters.

'Statement of objections'

The Commission is now putting pressure on the league to change the way it sells future televised football rights, or face possible antitrust action for breaking EU competition law.

It has been unhappy with the way Premier League football matches in the UK have been sold.

At the moment satellite broadcaster Sky has what is in effect an exclusive deal with the Premier League to show live matches.

The commission has not yet taken formal action over any possible breaking of competition law.

However, it is preparing a formal "statement of objections" highlighting how it feels the current TV deal, if left unchanged, breaches competition law.

A statement of objections can lead to financial penalties of up to one-tenth of a company's annual turnover worldwide.

'Fall in revenues'

Although Sky has the sole rights to show games, its securing of the current TV rights was acquired through it being the winning bidder for a number of packages.

It has been argued that the broadcaster has, nonetheless, built in a premium for exclusivity in its three year deal, worth £1.02bn ($1.83bn), and that if this is removed the future price paid to the Premier League for TV rights will drop.

"Their (Commission's) 50% rule is an intervention in the market that could lead to an artificial fall in revenues that would damage the quality of the game on the pitch, reduce the attractiveness of the game to stadium and TV fans, and hamper the ability of the game to invest in the community," Mr Scudamore warned in his letter.

Companies waiting to step in with offers for future televised packages - be they live games, delayed-broadcast matches or match highlights - could include Setanta, NTL, Telewest, the BBC and ITV.

A number of private equity firms are also closely watching the situation.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/4282984.stm
 
I hope Setanta & NTL don't get any games because then we would have to either subscribe or have the awful NTL digital tv thing.

Atleast ITV are willing to have another go at it, even after their massive flop with ITV Sport.
 
Setanta is ****! somrhing liek 120 quid a year & the coverage si awful.
 
Especially if ur not an OF fan because your team is only on once or twice a year
 
NTL Digital is quicker and more reliable then Sky and it doesnt go off when it rains either. How Awful. Sky will keep it all.
 
NTL may bid, but it doesnt mean they'll get the rights. Sky can outbid them, its just the stupid way its done is they all have to make a bid which is kept secret and the highest bid wins (obviously). Rather than a straight auction which could get them more money if a bidding war broke out.
I hope that NTL dont get it, its bad enough that they've taken over Telewest so it will probably **** my BB up, but now i might have to switch TV providers back aswell! How bad is that?!
 
I hope NTL don't get it unless they end up having a free channel on Sky Digital that shows the matches :D
 
What relevance does that have to the rest of the thread Gregor?
 
None!!!!

I hope Sky or ITV get it, Cant be arsed with NTL or that
 
Lee said:
What relevance does that have to the rest of the thread Gregor?


Becuase Celtic or Rangers could only move when the current tv deal with Sky ends.

Plus the company who wins the rights would have a big say on where it coul happen.
 
I hope it doesnt happen. Celtic & Rangers are scotish, deal with it!

Plus they might not even win the SPL this season!
 
Are Cardiff & Swansea glish?

Why wont we win it? Spurs are like 3rd ATM does that mean they will be in the CL at the end of the season.

Also no other team apart fro mthe FO have won the SPL. The OF arent top after 10 games & you write them off.
 
I didnt "write them off" i said they might not win. Theres a difference.

And Cardiff & Swansea arnt in the top league are they? Rangers and Celtic are basically asking to be put into one of the richest leagues in the world. Where as Cardiff & Swansea have been there since the English league system was a complete load of ****.
Its not like TNS are banging on the door saying "LET US JOIN YOUR LEAGUE!".

And Spurs are aiming for Europe so yes, hopefully they will be there or there abouts.
 
I would be happy to see Celtic enter at Conference level but it would be pointless as they would go up in sucessive seasons.
 
Gregor said:
I would be happy to see Celtic enter at Conference level but it would be pointless as they would go up in sucessive seasons.
Yeh because I'm sure all of your best players would love to play for a conference side.
 
Lee said:
Yeh because I'm sure all of your best players would love to play for a conference side.

No they wouldnt but our youngsters would & they own
 
I doubt you'd be able to sustain the books for 3 seasons of lower league football! Your clubs run like ****. The amount of fans and stuff you have your one of the best supported clubs in the world and you have next to no money. I know you'll say because "we dont get any money from our TV rights" but thats not all of it, you sell shitloads of shirts and merchandise you should be rolling in money, and your grounds are sold out everyweek!
But back to the point, i dont want the OF in the Premierleague.
 
We do ok. But our wage bill is far too high. Its the 4th biggest in UK. If we did move the to EPL the tv money alone would mean we made a smuch as Arsenal & thats not adding increased sponsership, prize money etc.

You only dont want them cos that would means Spurs would finish 14th instead of 12th :D
 
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