MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s competition watchdog said on Wednesday it had accepted amendments to a deal between Telecom Italia (TIM) and sports streaming service DAZN that would avert precautionary measures being imposed on their technical and distribution partnership.
The proposed changes and measures, including a pledge to make TIM’s pay-TV offer with DAZN’s service available to clients of other telecoms operators from Aug. 1, would prevent irreparable damage to competition ahead of the start of Italy’s top-flight Serie A soccer season, the watchdog said.
Aiming to promote its fast broadband and pay-TV services, TIM sealed a deal with DAZN, which holds the rights to screen Serie A matches over the next three seasons.
The watchdog, which opened its inquiry earlier this month after complaints from TIM’s rivals, said it would monitor the implementation of the companies pledges, while continuing its probe which must be concluded by June 30, 2022.
(Reporting by Elvira Pollina; editing by Jason Neely)
