EU prompt TV deal rethink

The European Commission have reached a deal with the Premier League and BSkyB, allowing up to eight live games a year to be shown by rival broadcasters.

The EC had challenged the three-year agreement which gave Sky exclusive rights to live matches and which is due to start next year and is worth £1billion.

But Premier League chairmen met to thrash out a deal and a compromise has been agreed.

A failure to back down may have forced clubs to negotiate their own TV deals.

EC competitions commissioner Mario Monti threatened to block the new three-year deal, which is due to start next season, believing Sky should not be the only broadcaster screening live matches.

Monti claims contracts of one season 'are generally acceptable', adding that all clubs should be allowed to do their own deal.

The EC challenged the proposed deal with Sky, claiming it gave the broadcaster a monopoly and stopped armchair fans watching live games.

The Premier League received the backing of UEFA - but today's ruling means Sky will not have exclusive rights of live coverage of top-flight matches.

Eight games will now be shown live on terrestrial television next season.

A statement from the Premier League, released to the Press Association tonight, read: "We can confirm that a provisional agreement has been reached with the European Commission in order to settle their investigation into our broadcasting rights.

"This agreement meets the Commission's competition concerns and strikes a balance between the interests of fans and broadcasters while maintaining the value of our rights.

"This announcement leaves in place the new deals already negotiated for the next three years and recognises the changes the FA Premier League have made to their broadcasting arrangements over the course of nine months of negotiations.

"Crucially this agreement delivers our clubs financial stability and certainty enabling them to plan for the future.

"The agreement protects the principle of competitive joint selling which underpins the integrity of the competition and significantly for fans, maintains the quality of the game both now and in the future.

"The terms of the settlement also offer the FA Premier League the flexibility to structure its rights in line with market conditions in three years time."