Ofcom To Investigate Itv’s Rwc Rights Deal

Ofcom is to review the bidding process for the TV rights to this year’s Rugby
World Cup after rights holder ITV applied to the media regulator for consent to
screen live coverage of the tournament.

Ofcom announced that it was launching an investigation into the bidding
process to establish whether ITV’s rival networks, including BBC and Sky, ‘had
an opportunity’ to acquire the TV rights to the tournament.

ITV agreed a £40m contract for the rights to Rugby World Cup 2007 not long
after the conclusion of the 2003 tournament which the broadcaster also screened
the exclusive coverage for.

Ofcom said that it is looking for feedback from other broadcasters on the
bidding process to ascertain whether it was a fair and open rights auction.

The Rugby World Cup final is a Group A listed event and consequently is
required to be screened live on a terrestrial channel.

However all other matches in the tournament are Group B listed events meaning
that live coverage of games might be shown on pay-TV, provided there were
satisfactory arrangements for secondary coverage by a free-to-air broadcaster,
through delayed live or highlights coverage.

The Ofcom consultation will run until 31st July and will ascertain as to
whether ITV had an unfair competitive advantage over its rivals in the bidding
process.

Rugby World Cup 2007 takes place across France in September.