Post by Taxigirl on Dec 12, 2003 9:30:25 GMT
The Premier League could be told on Friday whether the European Commission plans to block its new £1bn television deal with BSkyB.
EC competitions commissioner Mario Monti has threatened to block the deal, believing that Sky should not be the only broadcaster of live matches.
Premier League chief Richard Scudamore has told club chairmen there is only a 50% chance of the deal being completed.
But Uefa has given the deal its support.
"We fully support the Premier League on this," said a Uefa spokesman.
"They have been through a restrictive practices court in the UK. Their arrangements were upheld and supported there."
But it is understood that the Premier League rates its chances of passing through this three-year contract as in the balance.
If the EC rejects the deal, clubs would have to negotiate their own TV deals.
"This would effectively break up the Premier League," said Charlton chief executive Peter Varney.
Varney, speaking to BBC Radio Five Live, added: "The outcome for the Premier League clubs would be catastrophic. Some in particular are carrying heavy levels of debt.
"We've estimated you would be looking at something like a £400m reduction in the revenues which we've currently attracted in an open and competitive process.
"So if that were to be reversed in any way I think it's fair to say a number of Premiership clubs would be facing administration."
In October, BSkyB won exclusive rights to show live Premier League games for three years, starting with the 2004-05 season.
The company paid to show 138 live games, as well as the rights to internet broadcasts and delayed live coverage.
But European Competition Commissioner Monti objected to the deal, claiming that the packages were structured in a way that only Sky could afford to bid.
In return, the Premier League argued that the bidding process was open, transparent and competitive.
The meetings between the two sides have lasted for nine months and Monti's office insists it will give the result of their investigation in the next 10 days.
Bill Sinrich, president of one of the world's biggest sports rights holding companies, TWI International, said the effects of scrapping the deal will have even wider implications.
"If the top is jeopardised, the middle and the bottom, which is the Football League, absolutely will suffer far more serious consequences.
"The end result is it will be bad for the game and ultimately it will be bad for the viewer and the fan experience."