Press Release: Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections on cross-border provision of pay-TV services available in UK and Ireland

The European Commission sent on 23 July 2015 a Statement of Objections to Sky UK and six major US film studios: Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros.

The Commission took the preliminary view that each of the six studios and Sky UK had bilaterally agreed to put in place contractual restrictions that prevent Sky UK from allowing EU consumers located elsewhere to access, via satellite or online, pay-TV services available in the UK and Ireland.

The Commission's investigation was opened in January 2014.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Antitrust: Commission investigates restrictions affecting cross border provision of pay TV services http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-antitrust-commission-investigates-restrictions-affecting-cross-border-provision-of-pay-tv-services/

EurActiv, 23.07.15: Top Hollywood studios face EU antitrust probe http://www.euractiv.com/sections/competition/top-hollywood-studios-face-eu-antitrust-probe-316558

EUObserver, 23.07.15: EU competition probe targets Sky and Hollywood https://euobserver.com/news/129754

Politico, 23.07.15: EC charges six US studios for antitrust violations http://www.politico.eu/article/ec-charges-six-u-s-studios-for-antitrust-violations/

Politico, 31.07.15: Vestager’s copyrights and wrongs http://www.politico.eu/article/margrethe-vestager-copyright-rights-and-wrongs-hollywood-sky-disney-andrus-ansip/

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