European Commission Competition Case And The Premier League

EDM number 726 in 2005-06, proposed by Alan Meale on 11/10/2005.

That this House is aware that the European Commission has set itself against the UK Premier Football League over how it sells its media rights, in the belief that by limiting its ownership to 50 per cent. of the total available, income would be generated for the sport, whilst costs to fans would be lowered; believes this strategy to be flawed and misguided, as such a market-orientated intervention would inevitably lead to reduced revenues, thereby lowering and inhibiting football's investments in both local clubs and communities; further believes that this strategy is unfair in comparison with other European football leagues that have sold their rights collectively to single broadcasters without interference either from national regulators or from the European Commission; and calls upon the Government to halt such stupid experiments in the name of common sense.

This motion has been signed by a total of 11 MPs.