Brussels is worried about English football's TV rights

The European Commission said it would shortly be sending BSkyB and the Premier League a list of objections to their agreement, which gives the pay TV firm exclusive rights to broadest live Premiership games for three years starting in 2004.

The two companies will then have two months to respond.

The Commission added that changes to the way the Premiership sold the rights, introduced after the EU launched a probe into Britain's football broadcast deals last year, had done nothing to dispel its concerns.

"The announcement so far made by the Premier League suggests that BSkyB will have an even greater monopoly over live TV rights than was the case in the past," EU competition commissioner Mario Monti said.

"This is bad for competition on broadcasting markets and it is bad for consumers."

Broadcast tussle

The Premiership, which had previously sold its live broadcast rights in one block, this year separated the rights into four packages.

The move was designed to get around the Commission's criticism that the old arrangements favoured large media buyers, limiting consumer access to top-flight football.

However, BSkyB snapped up all four packages for more than �1bn last month, cementing its position as the only UK broadcaster to screen live Premiership games for another three years.

We awarded rights packages to those who won them in a transparent, fair and competitive process Premier League spokesman

The EU authorities say TV broadcast deals in the UK should be modelled on the way football's governing body in Europe, UEFA, sells rights to the Champion's League games.

"The Commission has proved with its UEFA Champions League decision that joint selling arrangements can be compatible with competition rules," Mr Monti said.

However, Premiership football clubs - many of them facing an uncertain financial future - are worried that any changes to the current arrangements could reduce their all-important TV revenues.

A Premier League spokesman said: "We have noted Commissioner Monti's public comments today with regard to the sale of the Premier League's live television rights.

"However, the Commission has yet to officially inform us of its position, once it does we will review any concerns they may have.

"The packaging of our live rights entirely mirrors one of the Commission's own proposals to remedy its concerns and create the conditions for competition.

"We then awarded rights packages to those who won them in a transparent, fair and competitive process."