Local Euro MP welcomes provision for 'balanced' content in the shake-up of the way football TV rights are sold.

3.48.17pm GMT Thu 17th Nov 2005

Local Euro MP welcomes provision for 'balanced' content in the shake-up of the way football TV rights are sold.

Liberal Democrat MEP, Diana Wallis, said she was pleased with the result, following the announcement in Brussels today that the European Commission and the Premier League have agreed a deal which means effectively that BSkyB is to lose its monopoly over live coverage of English Premier League matches. In particular she said she was pleased the Commission had accepted the need to 'balance' packages across the six which would be for sale as it had important implications for clubs in Yorkshire.

Diana Wallis said:

"Whilst the European Commission was right to attempt to break up the monopoly of Premiership football television rights, I was concerned the impact this would have on the exposure of the clubs outside of Chelsea, Arsenal, Man. United and so on.

"As it is, we currently expect to see these so-called glamour clubs more than twice as often as those deemed by the broadcasters as less glamorous.

"A couple of months ago I wrote to the Competition Commissioner, Neelie Kroos, expressing my concern that new entrants to the broadcast rights would be tempted to underpin their new football packages with even more games involving the glamour clubs.

"I think it is important that with Yorkshire likely to have one, possibly more teams in the Premiership again next season, these newly promoted teams were not ignored even further. I am glad to see that the Commission has taken note of my concern in the final deal agreed with their view that the packages will be 'balanced' across the league.