Been reading a lot about the sale of Premiership rights this week, and the pending bidding process. Does anyone know if it's still the case that no one broadcaster can buy all the available rights? The reason I ask is the below press release from the European Commission dated 22nd March 2006, and links contained in the article, appear to suggest otherwise:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release....htm?locale=en
"The commitments offered by the FA Premier League therefore provide for more rights, including television, mobile and internet rights to be made available and ensure that the rights are sold in an open and competitive bidding process subject to scrutiny by an independent Trustee. The live television rights will be sold in six packages – both smaller and more balanced than previously - and no one buyer will be allowed to buy more than five. The commitments also enhance the scope for individual clubs to exploit rights that are not sold by FAPL or used by the purchaser."
"The European Commission has adopted a decision under EC Treaty competition rules that renders commitments from the FA Premier League concerning the sale of media rights to the Premier League football competition legally binding. The case concerned the agreement between the clubs participating in the English Premier League competition to sell media rights to that competition jointly through the FA Premier League.
These commitments, which will remain in force until 30 June 2013, will increase the availability of media rights, and improve the prospects of competition in providing services to consumers."
Unless there has been a revision of these terms, or a new agreement, it appears the Premiership can now sell the rights without needing to make sure they don't all go to one broadcaster.