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Kelvin MacKenzie brands BSkyB’s £195m Football League deal ‘illegal’

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By John Glenday, Reporter

May 9, 2012 | 1 min read

Former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie has spoken out against a £195m deal signed by BSkyB to broadcast Football League matches as “wholly illegal”.

The outspoken former journalist, who is launching a rival sports broadcaster of his own, accused the broadcaster of operating a “cartel” over broadcast rights with footballs governing bodies.

Speaking to the Telegraph MacKenzie said: “If there was no football on Sky the share price would probably halve tomorrow, but why should consumers pay to keep the Sky share price up?”

MacKenzie believes that BSkyB is overpaying for the rights to some matches, not all of which it screens, in a bid to suppress competition.

He added: “The Football League has people who sit down and work out how to get the most out of the consumer via BSkyB. If they did this for gas or electricity they would be facing millions in fines and possibly the slammer like some tabloid journalists are."

A spokesman for Ofcom said that no official complaint had been received.

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