Mediaset Files Antitrust Claim Against Sky Italia Digital Key
November 17 2009 - 11:57AM
Dow Jones News
Mediaset SpA (MS.MI) said Tuesday it filed a claim with Italy's
antitrust regulator against News Corp.'s (NWS) satellite unit Sky
Italia launching a new digital key that will allow Sky's
high-definition TV customers to view free-to-air digital
terrestrial TV channels.
In a statement, Mediaset said that the new commercial initiative
by rival Sky Italia violates Italian and European Union competition
rules and eventually damages consumers, limiting their possible
choices in terms of TV offerings.
Sky Italia's new digital key, which will be launched in December
amid growing competition in the Italian pay-TV market with rival
Mediaset, is part of Sky's broader strategy aimed at retaining
premium customers and boosting its new high-definition offer.
News Corp. owns Dow Jones & Company, publisher of this
newswire.
Sky's aggressive competition in the Italian TV market has pushed
together private Mediaset and state-owned RAI, which recently
created a joint satellite platform, named TivuSat.
Following the creation of TivuSat, RAI has withdrawn five of its
digital channels from Sky Italia's platform.
Analysts say the launch of Sky's new key is a response to RAI's
pullout and a new step in the battle with Mediaset to dominate the
Italian TV sector.
-By Giada Zampano, Dow Jones Newswires; 39 06 69766920;
giada.zampano@dowjones.com
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