Germany's competition regulator has started an investigation into Sky Deutschland's agreement with the streaming platform DAZN on showing the Champions League in Germany. The Bundeskartellamt said it's looking at when and in what form the cooperation between the two companies was established and whether the deal promotes or restricts competition in the interest of consumers.
In a tender conducted by Uefa in 2017, Sky acquired the broadcasting rights for all Champions League matches in the period 2018 to 2021. Sky and DAZN subsequently divided the broadcasting rights amongst themselves. The Champions League has thus solely been broadcast by Sky and DAZN since the beginning of the current season.
As Germany’s leading pay-TV provider, Sky is potentially subject to particular restrictions under competition law when cooperating with competitors, the regulator noted. The agreement between Sky Deutschland and DAZN's parent Perform could contribute to further consolidation of Sky’s market position. Moreover, several matches of German and other clubs are now exclusively available online, and there are no longer any free-to-air broadcasts of the Champions League live in Germany.
The regulator said it will request information from Sky, DAZN and other market players in order to investigate the precise sequence of events regarding the tender procedure for the broadcasting rights.
