Mediaset fined EUR 51 mln over Italian football rights deal

Nieuws Video Italië 21 APR 2016
Mediaset fined EUR 51 mln over Italian football rights deal

Italy’s anti-trust regulator AGCM has fined Mediaset Premium, Sky Italia, Infront Italy SRL and the Italian football league a total of EUR 66 million for alleged collusion in the acquisition of TV football rights. Mediaset received the highest fine – amounting to EUR 51.4 million –  for breaching competition laws during the 2014 sale of football TV rights with a view to excluding new entrants. Sky Italia was fined around EUR 4 million, while the Italian football league and Infront Italy SRL, the agency that managed the auction, were fined some EUR 1.9 million and EUR 9 million respectively. In a statement, Mediaset pledged to appeal against the decision, which it described as completely unfounded and “based on a theory built on sand."

The investigation was launched in May last year following the June 2014 decision by Italy's top tier football league to award rights to broadcast matches of the eight leading Serie A teams during 2015-2018 to Sky Italia and Mediaset after weeks of competing bids. Sky Italia was subsequently given the exclusive rights to air matches of the other 12 teams in Serie A, a package that had first been awarded to Mediaset. The total value of the TV rights for the 2015-18 period came to EUR 945 million per season, some EUR 114 million more than the previous three-year deal.

Categories:

Video

Companies:

Mediaset,  Sky Italia

Countries:

Italië

Tags:

Regulations, Broadcast, Wholesale, Licences & sales agreement

Related Articles

ITALIË 4 JAN 2021

Italian court dismisses AGCM appeal over Mediaset, Sky football fines

Italy's Council of State, the country's top administrative court, has dismissed an appeal lodged by anti-trust regulator AGCM against a lower court decision to overturn fines imposed on Mediaset , Sky Italia, Infront Italy and the Italian football league for alleged collusion in the acquisition of TV football rights for the period 2015-18. The regulator initially imposed fines of EUR 51 million on Mediaset, EUR 9 million on Infront, EUR 4 million on Sky Italia and EUR 2 million on Lega Serie A for allegedly

ITALIË 28 DEC 2016

Mediaset, Sky win appeal against football competition fines

The Lazio administrative court has overturned the fines imposed on Mediaset Premium, Sky Italia, Infront Italy and the Italian football league of a total EUR 66 million for alleged collusion in the acquisition of TV football rights for the period 2015-18, reports Il Sole 24 Ore. Mediaset received the highest fine – amounting to EUR 51.4 million – for breaching competition laws during the 2014 sale of football TV rights, after allegedly colluding with Sky and Infront to exclude new entrants. The court said

ITALIË 7 SEP 2016

Court upholds Telecom Italia EUR 21.5 mln antitrust fine

The Regional Administrative Court of Lazio, the main Italian administrative court of first instance, has dismissed an appeal lodged by Telecom Italia and six other companies against a recent fine imposed by anti-trust regulator AGCM for anticompetitive conduct in the assignment of network maintenance services. Telecom Italia and its external suppliers Alpitel, Ceit Impianti, Sielte, Sirti, Site and Valtellina were accused of collusion in relation to maintenance contracts assigned for last mile service opera

ITALIË 27 JUL 2016

Vivendi confirms details of 'ambitious' new Mediaset offer

French media group Vivendi has confirmed that it has backed away from a deal to acquire 100 percent of the pay TV unit of Mediaset, saying it has written to the Italian broadcaster with an alternative proposal. Following a request from French financial market regulator AMF, the French company said it's now prepared to offer a 3.5 percent share in Vivendi in exchange for 20 percent of Mediaset Premium as well as 15 percent of parent Mediaset in the next three years via a convertible bond. In its statement Vi

ITALIË 5 JUL 2016

Cervi appointed Mediaset digital director

Italian broadcaster Mediaset has announced the appointment of Pier Paolo Cervi as its new digital business director. Cervi spent nine years at the Barilla group before helping to set up the web company Buongiorno back in 2000 and heading the digital division of the Espresso group since 2009. In his new role he will be responsible for the online offer of the Mediaset group.

ITALIË 7 JUN 2016

Italian watchdog suspends 252 e-commerce sites

Italy's antitrust and competition watchdog AGCM has ordered nine online operators to suspend a total of 252 websites for selling counterfeit goods. In a statement, the AGCM said the websites, all of which are hosted outside of Italy, were guilty of "unfair and deceptive trade practices" in that they provided "information that does not correspond to the truth with regard to the nature and characteristics of the products and the use of various trademarks." Counterfeit goods sold on the websites in question in

ITALIË 18 MAY 2016

Mediaset to launch 4K sports channel for Champions final

Mediaset is set to launch Italy's first Ultra HD 4K sports channel on 28 May, reports Corriere della Sera. The channel will be called Mediaset Premium Sport 4K and the launch date is timed to coincide with the Champions League final between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at Milan's San Siro stadium. Mediaset Premium Sport 4K will be available to Mediaset Premium Champions League package subscribers on channel 391 of the Mediaset 1 multiplex. Subscribers will also require a 4K-enabled TV set as well as a Pr

ITALIË 11 MAY 2016

Mediaset Premium posts EUR 57 mln loss in Q1

The Mediaset Premium pay-TV unit of Italian commercial broadcaster Mediaset posted a loss of EUR 56.6 million in the first three months of the year, according to the company's latest quarterly results. The pay-TV business was sold to French media giant Vivendi last month in a deal that valued Mediaset Premium at EUR 800 million. The result negatively impacted Mediaset's overall figures, with the broadcaster reporting a EUR 18.0 million loss in the first quarter compared to net income of EUR 0.6 million a ye

ITALIË 18 JAN 2016

AGCM summons Sky Italia, Mediaset over football rights deal

Italy's anti-trust regulator AGCM has summoned Sky Italia and Mediaset to respond to the findings of its investigation into alleged collusion in the acquisition of TV football rights, reports La Repubblica. The watchdog is investigating possible "sharing agreements" between Sky and Mediaset, as well as the Italian football league and Infront Italy SRL, the agency that managed the auction. The parties have been called to a meeting before a panel on 16 February to account for an exchange of emails shortly bef

ITALIË 24 DEC 2015

AGCM delays Sky Italia-Mediaset football rights decision

The Italian anti-trust regulator AGCM has delayed its decision on the alleged collusion in the acquisition of TV football rights by Sky Italia and Mediaset, reports La Repubblica. The watchdog is investigating possible "sharing agreements" between Sky and Mediaset, as well as the Italian football league and Infront Italy SRL, the agency that managed the auction. The probe will now conclude by 05 March, said the report.

ITALIË 13 OCT 2015

Italian police raid football clubs in TV rights probe

Italy's financial police have raided the offices of the professional football league, Lega Calcio, as well as a number of football clubs from Serie A and Serie B as part of an investigation into alleged collusion over TV rights, reports Ansa. The inquiry, led by Milan prosecutors, is probing whether rights agency Infront Italy SRL and its president Marco Bogarelli colluded with Sky Italia and Mediaset to exclude new entrants. Tax consultant Andrea Baroni, who has Infront as a client, has been arrested on ch

ITALIË 27 JUL 2015

Serie A TV web channel to launch on 22 August - report

Italy's professional football league, Lega Calcio, has teamed up with rights agency Infront Italy SRL to set up a new internet TV channel to broadcast matches from the country's top-tier Serie A league, reports local daily Il Fatto Quotidiano. Serie A TV will broadcast a total of 114 matches from the 2015-16 season on connected devices, with Telecom Italia entrusted with the distribution of the channel. Sky Italia and Mediaset last year won the auction to broadcast most Serie A matches over the next three s

ITALIË 21 JUL 2015

Mediaset secures rights for French, Scottish leagues

Italian broadcaster Mediaset has announced that it has secured the rights to televise the French and Scottish top-tier football leagues, Ligue 1 and SPC, over the next three years. Live matches and highlights from the two competitions will be broadcast on the Mediaset Premium pay-TV platform starting in August. Mediaset Premium will also be broadcasting Champions League football games between 2015 and 2018.

ITALIË 9 JUN 2015

Sky Italia adds Europa League, Fox Sport to sports package

Italian broadcaster Sky Italia has announced that it will be adding live Europa League games and Fox Sport channels to its Sky Sport package in time for the forthcoming season. The live Europa League games will be broadcast on an exclusive basis in Italy, while the Fox Sport channels include live English Premier League games for the next three years. The new additions compensate for the loss of the rights to broadcast Champions League football between 2015 and 2018, which were awarded to pay-TV rival Medias

ITALIË 21 MAY 2015

Sky Italia, Mediaset planning joint pay-TV venture - report

Sky Italia and commercial broadcaster Mediaset have held initial talks to discuss the possibility of setting up a joint pay-TV venture, reports Italian daily Corriere della Sera. The aim is to establish a new company combining the pay-TV activities of Mediaset Premium and Sky Italia, which together have around 7.2 million subscribers, with Sky Italia holding the majority interest. A meeting between Rupert Murdoch and Silvio Berlusconi took place at the end of April, according to the report, with Berlusconi'

Just In

19 DEC 16:42

SLT-Mobitel launches 5G network in Sri Lanka

19 DEC 16:19

Dialog Axiata launches 5G network, connects 1.5 million subscribers

19 DEC 15:56

UK govt to ban AI-enabled nudification apps to protect women, girls

19 DEC 15:42

3 UK launches last-minute Christmas sale

Commentary

13:56

Video market set for slower growth ahead

11:38

Netflix buys Warner Bros to deepen content catalogue

11:11

KPN's mixed performance in Q3 raises questions for strategy day

15:26

Stock markets breaking records but what happened to Odido's IPO plans?

Background

01:04

The week in telecom: Wi-Fi bolt-ons take off to boost broadband growth, video market works on consolidation

01:39

The week in telecom: Netflix wins bidding for Warner Bros, Apple poaches new execs, Samsung debuts trifold

13:51

Proximus vs. Telenet: Proximus performs better in Q3 while Telenet uses up cash

14:16

Proximus Domestic still struggling with low margins

Complete profile

Before downloading the whitepaper, we would like to ask you to complete your profile with company and position. After confirming you will receive the white paper.