Swisscom fined USD 72.5 mn for abusing dominant position

Switzerland's main telecom group Swisscom has been fined USD 72.5 million for abusing its dominant position in sports broadcasting, the Swiss competition authorities said today.
The Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) said Swisscom had gained a "dominant position in live broadcasting of games of Swiss football and ice hockey championships as well as of certain foreign football leagues on pay TV."
This was mainly because one of its subsidiaries, Cinetrade, owns exclusive rights regarding the broadcast of sports content on Swiss pay TV, COMCO said.
"Swisscom has abused this dominant position in several respects," it said, pointing out that the company for instance only granted competitors access to a reduced range of sports content.

"With these practices, Swisscom has gained an advantage in the competition between TV platforms in an illicit manner," the competition authority said.
Swisscom and Cinetrade insisted in a statement that they "refute these accusations and consider ... This sanction unfair.