The European Commission are investigating the FA Barclaycard Premier League commercial broadcasting contracts it emerged tonight.
The move follows a similar inquiry, already well advanced, into the way UEFA sell their broadcasting rights.
The Commission's competition department are looking into the legality under EU law of exclusive rights to broadcast matches.
And Brussels has acknowledged how crucial the Premier League arrangements are to Britain.
"Premier League matches are of particular importance on the UK broadcasting markets. If there are any anti-competitive aspects to the way in which the broadcasting rights are sold, their effects would be especially harmful," said competition Commissioner Mario Monti.
His remarks came in a Parliamentary written reply to Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy, whose North West constituency includes five of the Premier League clubs.
She had asked the Commission whether there were similarities between the issues raised by the UEFA Champions League commercial contract arrangements and those of the Premier League.
Mr Monti's reply said the main similarity in terms of EU law was that they both involve the joint selling of exclusive rights to broadcast football.
But there are important differences between UEFA and the Premier League in the way such rights are packaged for sale to individual broadcasters.
However, he added, the Commission's "goal" in both cases is to protect the public interest by ensuring that the rights are not sold in a way which harms competition.
Mr Monti said the UEFA inquiry was at a "fairly advanced" stage.
He added: "In the meantime, the Commission is proceeding with an in-depth factual examination of the broadcasting arrangements of the FA Premier League and has been in contact with the FAPL and third parties to this end."
Although the Premier League have not notified Brussels of their broadcasting arrangements, "this does not prevent the Commission from examining the case on its own initiative and such an examination is under way. The duration is likely to depend on the degree of cooperation the Commission receives".
PA