The Lazio Regional Administrative Court has confirmed the sanctions imposed in mid-last year by the Antitrust Authority on Tim and Dazn for some clauses in their agreement regarding the broadcast of Serie A football championship matches in the three-year period 2021-2024. The decision was made after a long and complex ruling that rejected the appeals filed by the parties involved.
According to the Italian Competition and Market Authority, the agreement in question, which granted exclusivity to Tim and prohibited partnerships with competitors, could have harmful effects on the competitive dynamics of the market. As a result, Tim was fined 760.776,82 euros and Dazn 7.240.250,84 euros, based on the expected revenues from the marketing of television rights.
The Lazio Regional Administrative Court rejected the objections raised by the parties, confirming the qualification of the agreement as “restrictive by object”. It stressed that the agreement aimed to exclude competitors from the pay TV and telecommunications market, with the aim of increasing Tim's customer base.
Furthermore, the TAR rejected the objections regarding the application of the exemptions provided for by the European Regulation on 'vertical agreements', underlining that both Dazn and Tim operate in the market for the provision of audiovisual services, therefore the agreement cannot be considered free from restrictions. Finally, the TAR accepted the appeals presented by Sky and Fastweb, considering that there was a contradiction in the Antitrust provision and ordered the Authority to restart the investigation procedure.
Article published on May 13, 2024 - 13:35 pm
