The EC had initially claimed in July 2001 that the joint selling of Champions League broadcast rights "restricts competition" and was not "eligible for exemption".
The EC had found that "any possible efficiencies and benefits that joint selling could provide in the broadcast market are negated by the commercial policy pursued by UEFA.
"This is because all TV rights of the UEFA Champions league are sold to a single broadcaster in each territory for several years in a row on an exclusive basis."
However, UEFA's new commercial policy, proposed in May 2002, allows joint selling under certain conditions.
The main points of the agreement are that TV rights contracts shall not exceed three UEFA Champions League seasons in duration, UEFA will offer its TV rights in several smaller packages, and that subject to this, UEFA will have the exclusive right to sell two main live rights packages (free or pay-TV), each comprising two matches per match night.
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