An end to Sky's stranglehold on live televised sport moved a step closer last week after Premier League chiefs met with the European Competition Commission and consented to a significant compromise.
Sky's dominance of summer sport is also due to be challenged as it was announced that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport select committee will be reviewing the rights to live Test match cricket. In Brussels on Tuesday, the Premier League's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, proposed splitting live games into five packages for the 2007-2010 seasons, each of 28 matches, with no single broadcaster allowed more than four of the five.
Mr Scudamore was forced into the concessions after the EC threatened to sue the Premier League earlier this year, claiming it had breached competition laws in allowing Sky to have a monopoly.
The plans would effectively cap Sky's allocation at 80 per cent of the 138 Premiership matches per season.
ITV, Five, BBC and NTL are all sure to bid when the rights are auctioned in 2006.
The review of live cricket follows a Commons motion to safeguard the sport on free-to-air television that gathered the support of over 130 MPs. The committee will hear evidence towards the end of next month.
A select committee spokesman said: "There is a concern for the loss of rights to terrestrial TV and we are interested in getting to the bottom of the case."
Licensees, unhappy with Sky's ability to raise prices in recent years because of their dominance, responded positively. Alun Comer, licensee of Styles Bar in Ormskirk, Lancashire, said: "Anything which breaks up Sky's monopoly is a good thing. I pay over £1,000 a month, and at the moment they can charge whatever they like."