The Antitrust gives the green light, with reservations, to the acquisition of Mediaset Premium assets by Sky. The pay-TV giant will be able to take over R2, a branch of Premium, but for three years it will have to implement "measures aimed at restoring competition in the pay-TV market".
“On 20 May 2019, the Authority concluded the preliminary investigation relating to the acquisition of some pay television assets on the digital terrestrial platform of Mediaset Premium spa by Sky Italian Holding spa (Sky group). At the conclusion of the preliminary investigation, the Authority found that the implementation of the merger entailed the strengthening of the dominant position of the Sky group on the market for retail pay-TV services (pay-TV market), such as to eliminate or reduce competition substantially and lastingly on that market and related markets, the market for the wholesale supply of television channels pre-packaged products for pay-television and its possible sub-segments (basic and premium) and the market for the licensing of audiovisual content broadcasting rights and its sub-segments”.
According to the antitrust, however, the operation would have generated anti-competitive effects defined as “irreversible” with "the consequent disappearance, also in perspective, of the competitive pressure exercised by Mediaset Premium in past years". The restrictions imposed aim precisely at bringing back to the market potential competition on pay TV offers through which there may be "a reduction in prices for consumers and an increase in the audiovisual content available to them".
In detail, Sky will not be able to stipulate any exclusivity "for audiovisual content and linear channels for internet platforms in Italy" in the next three years.
