NMa: Splitting Football Broadcasting Rights into Packages Promotes Competition

The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) is of the opinion that the intention of Eredivisie CV ('ECV') to sell broadcasting rights to football matches of the Dutch premier league clubs as six packages will promote competition between broadcasters. NMa will not block the combined sale of the packages through ECV. NMa has stipulated, however, that each package should be attractive enough for broadcasters to wish to bid for them. In addition, NMa will monitor whether the proposed procedure actually results in more competition in practice. NMa cannot assess this properly beforehand on the basis of information which it received from ECV

NMa is positive about the fact that the number of matches offered is no longer so limited and that the broadcasting rights revert to the individual clubs on Sunday evenings at 23:59, which are then able to exploit these rights themselves. NMa is also positive about the possibility of broadcasting a live match on Friday evening on the open network and about the splitting of the rights to broadcast highlights and the rights intended for subscription television.

NMa has stipulated that the procedure for entering bids and awarding rights must be transparent and non-discriminatory. The method for assessing the various bids must be objective, transparent and verifiable. In this regard, NMa has adhered to the line taken in decisions by the European Commission.

NMa has notified ECV of its views. It does not now consider it opportune to initiate a further investigation in the period up to and including the 2007/2008 season, unless new evidence or a complaint received by NMA gives cause for this.