US media giant Fox and Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport said Wednesday they were cooperating with EU anti-trust officials after unannounced searches of their offices as part of a probe into sports media rights. The office of Fox Networks Group, which operates 21st Century Fox's global television network, in west London was raided by European Commission officials over competition concerns.
"Fox Networks Group (FNG) is cooperating fully with the EC inspection," a company spokesman told AFP. Ziggo Sport, part of a Dutch joint venture owned by the British Vodafone Group and US Liberty Global, declined to say where and when the searches on its premises took place.
"Ziggo Sport is fully co-operating with the European Commission's inspection and are unable to comment further at this stage," Ziggo spokesperson Alexis van Liebergen told AFP. The European Commission said it carried out inspections in several EU countries of companies working in media rights related to sports events and their broadcasting.
Inspectors are believed to have seized documents and computer records at the FNG office and are due to return on Wednesday and possibly Thursday, The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported. Sports broadcasting has become a multi-billion dollar business across the world, with big television networks vying for exclusive rights to show live games.
Football in particular attracts the big spenders. The bulk of rights to show English Premier League matches in February sold for £4.46 billion ($6.16 billion), with more games still up for grabs.