Bidding war for Premiership rights begins

THE bidding war has begun in earnest after broadcasters were given a month to tender their offers to screen live Premier League football matches from 2007-08.

BSkyB’s 13-year monopoly on showing live games was broken when league officials this week committed to ensuring no single broadcaster could buy rights to all of them.

Now - with seven years’ discussion between the league and the European Commission having come to a head - broadcasters have been given an April 27 deadline to submit their bids.