Spain: green light for Sogecable's movie rights

net1

Pay-TV giant Sogecable, owner of Canal Plus and digital DTH platform Digital Plus, has received the blessing of the Spanish competition watchdog to enter into exclusive deals with US majors.

The regulator has shelved proceedings against the pay-TV group for lack of evidence of a breach of competition, thereby giving its go-ahead for such contracts.

Cable company ONO had appealed to the Competition Service and urged it to take measures to stop what it considered as a "unfair competition" in the pay-TV market as a result of those exclusive contracts signed by Sogecable.

Now the watchdog has ruled that the deals do not restrict competition in the market. ONO has challenged the decision and taken the case to the Competition Court, alleging that "the lack of competition in the TV contents market prevents any attempt to offer an attractive pay-TV service".