EU extends deadline for News Corp's BSkyB bid

BRUSSELS Dec 2 (Reuters) - EU regulators have extended a deadline to Dec. 22 to decide on a $12.5 billion bid by News Corp (NWSA.O) for British pay-TV company BSkyB (BSY.L) after the company offered concessions to ease competition concerns.

The new date, delayed from a previous deadline of Dec. 8, was posted on the European Commission website on Thursday. It did not provide any details of News Corp's proposal.

News Corp, which also owns British newspapers the Sun, sister paper the News of the World and the Times and Sunday Times, wants to buy the 61 percent of BSkyB it does not already own.

BSkyB's premium sports offerings include Premier League soccer, the Ashes Test cricket series and the Tri Nations rugby championship.

British communications regulator Ofcom is also reviewing the case on media plurality issues.

Independent directors at the company, which was founded more than 20 years ago by Rupert Murdoch, has rejected News Corp's offer as too low.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Bate Felix)

(Reuters Messaging: bate.felix.reuters.com@reuters.net; Email:bate.felix@thomsonreuters.com; Tel:+3222876812))