The Rupert Murdoch-controlled Sky Television is expected to object strongly to any move by the Government to order free-to-air television coverage in the Republic of this year's Ryder Cup golf tournament.
Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey has ordered a review of the list of sporting events that should be available to all viewers in the State.
Last night, the director of Sky Ireland, Mark Deering officially would only say that the company would "express our views" to the Minister during the consultation period, which ends on January 27th.
In 2003, the Government introduced legislation to block a deal between Sky and the Football Association of Ireland that would have made all Irish soccer internationals available only on pay-per-view.
The same legislation could now be used to unravel the multi-million television rights deal for the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland struck between Sky and the Ryder Cup organisers.
If the Minister designates the Ryder Cup as a free-to-air event, British TV regulator Ofcom is required under European Union law to force Sky to comply even though Sky is not legally registered here.
The competition, which is now one of the biggest events in international sport, will be held in the K Club in Straffan, Co Kildare from Friday, September 22nd and Sunday, September 24th.
However, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, speaking on the Setanta Sports channel on New Year's Eve, appeared to go further by indicating that the Government wanted the Ryder Cup broadcast globally free-to-air.
Mr Ahern said: "We're trying to organise free-to-air for the Ryder Cup. From an Irish point of view, to get the biggest and maximise the audience, which is what we want to do, is to get into two billion homes.
" It's an enormous ad for the country and here's our opportunity."
In the United States, NBC Sports broadcasts the competition free-to-air.
It extended its agreement with the Professional Golfers' Association of America recently until 2014.
In comments that could be seen as reflecting a desire to avoid an outright conflict with Sky, Mr Dempsey said: "All we are doing is consulting as provided for in the legislation passed in 2003."
Currently, 372,000 homes in the State have Sky Sports.
If forced to do so, the company could encrypt its signal to prevent Sky Sports subscribers in the Republic from seeing the Ryder Cup, without affecting services to British and Northern Irish subscribers.
The rights to broadcast the competition in the State would then fall open to either RTÉ, TG4, or TV3 for, it must be assumed, a much smaller fee than the one, still undisclosed, paid by Sky.
However, none of the channels would be able to broadcast the signal outside of the State's territory, which could cause complications since RTÉ and TG4 are available by both aerial and cable in Northern Ireland.
Sky could resort to the courts if Mr Dempsey proceeded with a ban, though the European law in the area is regarded as definitive and the broadcaster did not seek to challenge the Government three years ago.
In a statement to The Sunday Times, a spokesman for the Ryder Cup said: "The Irish Government was made fully aware of the contractual situation with regard to television when agreement was reached in 1997 for Ireland to be the host nation.
"The European Tour, as managing partners of Ryder Cup Ltd, has subsequently received no indication whatsoever that the television agreement with Sky and with RTÉ is any way problematic or that the event is to be included in the formal review to be undertaken by the Irish Government."
