EU commission reaches agreement on football broadcast rights

The European Union's executive commission had reached a preliminary agreement with the German football league on sales of match broadcast rights that the commission said would let fans see more live matches.  The European Commission said the Bundesliga had liberalized the way it sells television rights, "particularly in connection with new media such as UMTS and broadband Internet. German football fans will have the chance to see more live matches."  EU competition commissioner Mario Monti said top-level sport competitions were crucial to growth of new media and those consumers, the media and clubs would all benefit from more live broadcasting rights.  Among the major elements in the preliminary agreement, the commission said that starting with the 2006/07 season, the league's central marketing unit would provide at least 90 minutes live reporting with all highlights on the Internet.  "Clubs will also be able to market their home games themselves directly after the final whistle has blown." Clubs will also be able to show their matches live via mobile telephones," the commission's statement added.  Commission spokeswoman Amelia Torres told reporters the decision set a precedent for "situations where clubs own the broadcasting rights and where they give the league a grouped mandate to sell those rights".  "There are countries where the clubs don't own the rights, I believe that is the case in France for example, and countries where there are no grouped sales, I believe that's the case in Italy," she added.

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