This paper investigates the peculiar nature of competition in the broadcasting market for live English Premier League matches in the United Kingdom. Following the movement from free-to-air to subscription television in 1992, British Sky Broadcasting secured a monopoly on live broadcasting rights. The exclusive arrangements were later found to be in breach of European competition law and resulted in competition from the start of the 2007-2008 season. However, competition has not reduced prices charged to consumers. Both the overall cost to consumers and the price per game are higher with competing broadcasters than under a monopoly.
BaimbridgeM.CameronS.DawsonP. (1996). Satellite television and the demand for football: A whole new ball game?Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 43, 317–333.
British Broadcasting Corporation. (2018). Premier League TV rights: Five of seven live packages sold for £4.464bn. Retrieved fromhttp://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43002985
5.
CairnsJ.JennettN.SloaneP. J. (1986). The economics of professional team sports: A survey of theory and evidence. Journal of Economic Studies, 13, 3–80.
6.
CaveM.CrandallR. (2001). Sports rights and the broadcast industry. Economic Journal, 111, F4–F26.
7.
DobsonS.GoddardJ. (2011). The economics of football (2nd ed.), Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
8.
DoukasD. (2012). The sky is not the (Only) limit—Sports broadcasting without frontiers and the court of justice: comment on murphy. European Law Review, 37, 605–626.
9.
ForrestD.SimmonsR.SzymanskiS. (2004). Broadcasting, attendance and the inefficiency of cartels. Review of Industrial Organization, 24, 243–265.
10.
FortR.QuirkJ. (1995). Cross-subsidization incentives and outcomes in professional team sports. Journal of Economic Literature, 33, 1265–1299.
11.
HarbordD.SzymanskiS. (2004). Restricted view: The rights and wrongs of fa premier league broadcasting. London, England: Consumers’ Association.
12.
HoehnT.LancefieldD. (2003). Broadcasting and sport. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 19, 552–568.
13.
HorowitzI. (1974). Sports broadcasting. In NollRoger G. (Ed.), Government and the sports business (pp. 275–324). Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
14.
MasseyP. (2007). Are sports cartels different? An analysis of EU commission decisions concerning collective selling agreements for football broadcasting rights. World Competition, 30, 87–106.
15.
MasseyP.DalyD. (2003). Competition and regulation in Ireland: The law and economics, Chapter 11. Competition Law & Sports, Cork, Ireland: Oak Tree Press.
16.
National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma, 468 US 85, 101 (1984).
17.
NollR. G. (2007). Broadcasting and team sports. Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 54, 400–421.
18.
Ofcom. (2005). Premier League Football: Research into viewing trends, stadium attendances, fans’ preferences and behaviour, and the commercial market. Analysis Advising the Commission of the European Communities Relating to a Proceeding Under Article 81 of the EC Treaty, London.
19.
Ofcom. (2007a). Summary of UK sports rights: Annex 10 to Pay-TV market investigation consultation. December 18, 2007, London.
20.
Ofcom. (2007b). Summary of quantitative consumer research: Annex 14 to Pay-TV market investigation consultation. December 18, 2007, London.
PeetersT. (2011). Broadcasting rights and competitive balance in European Soccer. International Journal of Sport Finance, 6, 23–39.
25.
PonsJ. F. (1999). Sports and European competition policy. In HawkB. (Ed.), International antitrust law & policy (pp. 75–91). New York, NY: Juris.
26.
RobertsonA. (2002). The application of European competition law to sports broadcasting. World Competition, 25, 423.
27.
SzymanskiS. (2006). The Economic Evolution of Sport and Broadcasting. Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, 39, 428–434.
28.
SzymanskiS. (2009). Playbooks and checkbooks: An introduction to the economics of modern sports. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
