COMCO sanctions Swisscom with respect to live sports broadcasting on pay TV
Bern, 24.05.2016 - The Competition Commission (COMCO) imposes a fine of CHF 71,818,517 on Swisscom. The Swisscom group with its subsidiaries CT Cinetrade AG and Teleclub AG holds a dominant position particularly with respect to live broadcasting of Swiss football and ice hockey championship games on pay TV. Swisscom has abused this position against competing TV platform operators in order to restrain competitors in platform competition.
COMCO established that with its subsidiaries, Swisscom holds a dominant position in live broadcasting of games of the Swiss football and ice hockey championships as well as of certain foreign football leagues on pay TV. This is because Swisscom subsidiary Cinetrade owns long-term and comprehensive exclusive rights regarding the broadcast of sports content on Swiss pay TV.
Swisscom has abused this dominant position in several respects. It has refused to supply some competitors with broadcasts of live sports for their platforms at all. To other competitors such as Cablecom, Swisscom has only granted access to a reduced range of sports content. Furthermore, the competitors, unlike Swisscom, could only offer their customers the sports content in combination with the basic package of Teleclub.
With these practices, Swisscom has gained an advantage in the competition between TV platforms in an illicit manner.
The decision of COMCO can be appealed before the Federal Administrative Court.
Address for enquiries
Prof. Dr. Vincent Martenet
President
+41 79 506 73 87
+41 21 692 27 46
vincent.martenet@weko.admin.ch
Dr. Rafael Corazza
Director
+41 58 462 20 41
+41 79 652 49 57
rafael.corazza@weko.admin.ch
Carole Söhner-Bührer
Vice-director
+41 58 464 96 69
carole.soehner-buehrer@weko.admin.ch
Publisher
Competition Commission
http://www.weko.admin.ch/
