TV rights, Antitrust investigation on Tim and Dazn

The Antitrust has initiated an investigation against Tim and Dazn for a possible agreement to restrict competition through the agreement for the TV rights of Serie A football. The procedure, according to a note, concerns some clauses of the agreement between Tim and Dazn for the distribution and technological support relating to the contents of Packages 1 and 3 of the rights for watching Serie A football matches over the three-year period 2021-2024. In particular, the procedure is aimed at ascertaining whether there is a possible agreement restricting competition with reference to the clauses of the agreement that commercially restrict Dazn in the offer of pay-TV services, “with the effect, among other things, of reducing its ability to offer discounts to end users and to hinder other telecommunications operators from undertaking any commercial initiatives “underlines the note. The investigation is also aimed at verifying the restrictiveness of the agreement with reference to “additional elements concerning the possible adoption by Tim of technical solutions not available for competing telecommunications operators and which could result in obstacles to the adoption of its own technological solutions “. The Authority believes that the agreement “could lead to significant distortions of competition, in a context characterized by the evolution of the ways in which television services are used towards the internet platform and the consequent benefits for consumers”. therefore, “jeopardize the competitive development in the pay-TV market and related markets, such as those of fixed retail and wholesale broadband and ultra-broadband telecommunications services and mobile telecommunications” explains the note. the agreement could also prevent consumers from freely choosing their internet connectivity provider and the way to use Dazn with “a possible economic prejudice and in terms of the variety of technological solutions available”. of the contents of the Serie A football championship has just begun, the Authority it also initiated proceedings for the possible adoption of precautionary measures which will be decided only if, following the outcome of the dispute with the parties, it should prove that the conduct implemented by Tim and Dazn causes serious and irreparable damage to the competition.