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BT To Skip English Premier League Rights If Price Too High

BT will not pursue broadcast rights for Premier League matches "if prices become extreme," according to Orihuela & Thomson of BLOOMBERG. BT CEO Gavin Patterson said, “I’d be disappointed if we didn’t get any Premier League content this time, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world for us. If the price becomes even more crazy, we’re not going to be chasing that.” BT and Sky together paid a record £3B "for rights to show Premier League matches in June 2012." The next auction "is expected in 2015." U.K. media regulator Ofcom said that "it will investigate how the league sells rights, after cable-TV provider Virgin Media Inc. complained the process breaches competition law and drives up prices for consumers" (BLOOMBERG, 11/20).

MATCH OF THE DAY: In London, Owen Gibson wrote ITV "is set to launch a raid on Match of the Day’s rights to top-flight highlights as broadcasters gear up for the looming Premier League auction despite a recent intervention from the media regulator." The commercial broadcaster, which last held the rights between '01 and '04, "is expected to put together a bid once the tender process gets under way early next year." The prospect of the BBC and ITV competing for the highlights "is just one subplot for Premier League rights that will again see Sky and BT Sport go head to head for live games and is not expected to be derailed by the investigation announced by Ofcom this week." The BBC paid £60M ($94M) per year "to retain the rights under the current deal, which runs to the end of next season." Match of the Day "is in rude health despite the predictions of a few years ago that highlights would decline in popularity as a result of real time goal clips and more live football than ever." Yet "ratings have proved remarkably resilient in the digital age and spin-offs such as Match of the Day 2 and Match of the Day Kickabout have grown the overall audience." BBC Head of TV Sport Philip Bernie said that the venerable Saturday night program was a “unique proposition” that had “bucked the trend” (GUARDIAN, 11/20).

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