Italian Regulator Sides with Sky Italia in Dispute Over Soccer Rights

MILAN: The Italian antitrust authority AGCOM has rejected Mediaset’s accusations that Sky Italia’s acquisition of the World Cup and the UEFA Champions League reflected an abuse of its dominant position in the market.

The satellite platform secured the rights to Champions League from 2012 to 2015 and the FIFA World Cup for 2010 and 2014. Mediaset, in a complaint lodged to AGCOM in 2010, alleged that Sky Italia abused its dominant position in scoring those broadcast rights.

In reference to the Champions League, AGCOM maintained that it was a competitive tender process. Plus, Sky sub-licensed the rights to the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons to Mediaset. The World Cup, meanwhile, is guaranteed to air on terrestrial channels via an EU directive, AGCOM said in its ruling.