EU Confirms Inspections On Distribution Of Sports Media Rights And Other Rights

(RTTNews) - The European Commission confirmed that on 10 April 2018 its officials carried out unannounced inspections in several Member States at the premises of companies active in the distribution of media rights and related rights pertaining to various sports events and/or their broadcasting.

The commission has concerned that the companies involved may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices. The Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the relevant national competition authorities.

European Commission said, "Unannounced inspections are a preliminary step into suspected anticompetitive practices. The fact that the Commission carries out such inspections does not mean that the companies are guilty of anti-competitive behaviour nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself. The Commission respects the rights of defence, in particular the right of companies to be heard in antitrust proceedings."

There is no legal deadline to complete inquiries into anticompetitive conduct. Their duration depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of each case, the extent to which the undertakings concerned co-operate with the Commission and the exercise of the rights of defence.

A 21st Century Fox Inc. office in the U.K. received a surprise inspection Tuesday by European Commission investigators, who are conducting an antitrust probe into sports rights and distribution of sports content.

On Wednesday, Dutch cable operator VodafoneZiggo Group BV said it too had been subject to inspection by European regulators. The company said in a statement that it was cooperating fully and was unable to comment further.

Fox Networks Group, a division of 21st Century Fox, said it "is cooperating fully with the EC inspection." The statement offered no further details.