The European Commission has threatened to take legal action against the Premier League if it fails to make breakBSkyB’s monopoly on scxreening matches.
The Commission says current proposals to limit the number of matches per broadcaster do not go far enough to satisfy to break the current monopoly.
A meeting between the EU and the Premier League will take place on Tuesday next week in Brussels.
Competition commissioner Neelie Kroes will discuss the issue with Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore.
“The meeting is now confirmed and the commissioner has decided to give Richard Scudamore the benefit of the doubt in terms of coming up with a satisfactory proposal,” said a spokesman for Ms Kroes.
“If he doesn’t it will be a very short meeting.”
Unless the issue is resolved, the Commission will proceed with legal action against the Premier League.
In June, the Premier League proposed to sell six packages each of 23 live games for the 2007-2010 seasons, with no single broadcaster allowed to buy more than five of the packages.
However, the Commission says this does not go far enough.
Mr Scudamore will return with a deal of five packages each of 28 games, with no one broadcaster allowed more than four in the hope of placating the Commission.
The Commission is opposed by the Premier League which has benefitted hugely from the BSkyB monopoly over the past decade.
Rival broadcasters ITV and cable firm NTL, who were reported to have teamed up this week to bid for the rights to screen up to half the live Premier League matches.
The last rights package in 2003 was sold to BSkyB managed in a deal worth £1bn. The broadcaster has bought the rights for all live top-flight coverage since the Premier league was launched in 1992.
