After the first round of bidding closed this past Thursday for the TV rights to the English Premier League (2007-2013 season), the Premier League announced that SkySports (to no surprise) has won three of the six packages available.

Experts predict that Sky is very likely now to secure five out of the six packages during the next round of bidding.

According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, “there is a growing belief among bidders, which include NTL, the cable group, Setanta, the Irish broadcaster, and Channel 4, that the Premier League has conducted the sealed auction process in a way that has maximized Sky’s chances of retaining its position as the home of top-flight football on our TV screens.”

Read the full Telegraph story here.