UK Cable NTL to bid for PL TV rights

After saying it would not be bidding on English Premiere games as recently as last year, Cable giant NTL has changed course and announced that it plans on making a bid on the league’s TV rights when they come up for bid this month.

NTL chairman Jim Mooney said a successful bid would “significantly enhance” the company’s bid to rival Sky, which has had a monopoly on top-division games since the first division became the Premiere League in 1992. Last year, NTL said it would not bid on league TV rights, criticising the European Commission competition for not providing a fairer way to divvy up the league’s programming packages. Earlier this month, after the company added 21,000 subscribers, Mooney said NTL was finally ready for a serious bid.

"If the Premier League and the government are serious about creating competition in football, then we are serious about participating,” he said in a conference call with reporters. The Premiere League will offer six packages, with Sky expected to secure five of the packages. NTL or Ireland-based broadcaster Setanta will vie for the remaining package. The last time top game were available live on free TV was the 1991-92 season. The European Commission first voiced its concern about Sky’s TV monopoly in 1993.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.