English Premier League Defiant To Ofcom Following Probe Into TV Auction Process

The Premier League has "provided around 400 pages of explanation" to broadcast regulator Ofcom to make its case for keeping the full £5.1B ($7.8B) from its domestic TV rights sale, according to Charles Sale of the London DAILY MAIL. The lengthy document, which had EPL chiefs "burning the midnight oil to meet Friday’s deadline, is the league’s official response" to an Ofcom probe into its TV auction process. This follows a complaint from Virgin Media that "the anti-competitive rights sale led to consumers having to pay inflated prices." In fact, both Sky Sports and Virgin "have raised their subscriptions since the jackpot contracts were announced." The league’s deals with Sky and BT "came with the proviso of being dependent on the Ofcom verdict." A Premier League spokesperson said, "We are confident we have made our case that our auction of rights is to the benefit of a competitive PL and for TV consumers" (DAILY MAIL, 5/24).