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Sky and Virgin Media have a lot to say about how much sport should be on TV

There's never been more sport for Brits to watch on TV. That should be cause for celebration, but there's a problem: broadcasters are fighting for the rights to show different leagues and tournaments, which is locking sports away behind different satellite and internet TV services. Want to watch every Premier League fixture? You'll have to fork out for both BT Sport and Sky Sports, or make do with the highlights on Match of the Day. There's even talk of the rugby Six Nations competition going pay TV only.

Today, Sky is defending its position. Barney Francis, Managing Director for Sky Sports, says viewers "have never been so well served." He argues that the quality of sports coverage is at an all-time high -- look to the BBC and Channel 4's coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics -- and that pay TV doesn't necessarily lead to a decline in public interest for certain sports. One example of this, he says, is the Ryder Cup: "We delivered huge exposure across digital and social media, plus a promotional campaign fit for a Hollywood blockbuster." Sport England might have something to say about that, however.

The argument from Sky is therefore loud and clear: pay TV isn't the bad guy. It provides much-needed investment in sports broadcasting, which simply wouldn't be possible if everything was only free-to-air in the UK. But not everyone is happy with the status quo. Virgin Media is currently pushing Ofcom to slam the brakes on the Premier League's next TV rights auction, arguing that the way it's currently handled is anti-consumer.

Here's a quick breakdown: the Premier League has a number of match "bundles" which broadcasters bid for in three-year chunks. To stop Sky's football monopoly, the European Commission introduced a rule in 2006 which meant no single broadcaster could take them all. That specific obligation has now expired, so it's possible for one company to take the lot in this upcoming auction, which will decide the TV rights for the 2016-19 seasons.

Regardless, at the moment less than half of all Premier League matches are broadcast live in the UK. The low number of televised fixtures is making it tougher for fans to justify their subscriptions, and It's not like there's much competition; yes, it's possible to pick up Sky Sports and BT Sports with a Virgin TV package, but ultimately you're still watching the same channel. In short, the same Premier League match will never be covered by different broadcasters in the UK -- blocking viewers from voting with their eyeballs.

Virgin Media filed a complaint last September, and Ofcom agreed to investigate whether the current arrangements were breaking UK or European competition laws. The Premier League, however, is now keen to get its auction underway, which means any decision would likely come after the bidding closes. That means the resulting victors, most likely Sky and BT, would be able to maintain their dominance until 2019. To stop this, Virgin Media has filed a second application urging Ofcom to take "interim measures," which would effectively halt the auction until the regulator can conclude its investigation.

Pay TV providers aren't going away anytime soon, but once more the distribution of TV rights and the affordability of watching live sports at home is being called into question. It's perhaps no surprise that the broadcaster dominant in this space wants everything to stay the same, while the one clipping at its heels is desperate for change.

[Top Image Credit: AP Photo/Jon Super]