A bidding war for the rights to broadcast English Premiership football in the Republic has begun following the announcement yesterday of a separate television deal for the UK.
England's premier league awarded its next batch of live television rights to BSkyB in a deal worth £1.024 billion over three years from the start of the 2004/2005 season.
Unlike in previous years, however, the rights are confined to the UK, raising the prospect of a separate contract for the Republic.
RTÉ confirmed last night it had entered the race for the broadcasting rights to matches.
TV3 and BSkyB are also understood to have put in bids.
Matches would be guaranteed to draw large television audiences.
Talks between the bidders and the premier league are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.
Announcing the UK package yesterday, premier league chief executive Mr Richard Scudamore cited recent complaints from the EU Commission about possible breaches of competition law for its decision to sell the Irish rights as a separate package.
The Commission had sent a "statement of objections" to the league accusing the organisation - which consists of 20 clubs - of price-fixing.
Its intervention had prompted the league to break up the UK rights into four tiers - two of 38 matches and two of 31 matches.
Mr Scudamore said he believed this would satisfy the Commission despite the fact that Sky had successfully bid for all four tiers.
As for the Irish rights, Mr Scudamore declined to comment other than saying the league had "parked Éire" for a couple of weeks.
It is understood the league has yet to decide whether to offer the Irish rights on a winner-takes-all basis or using a tiered formula.
Both RTÉ and TV3 are believed to be pitching for a package of live games, which would predominantly feature top teams like Manchester United and Liverpool, rather than the entire broadcasting rights.
