The Swiss competition commission Comco has hit UPC Switzerland with a CHF 30 million fine for abusing ice hockey broadcasting rights. UPC Switzerland acquired broadcasting rights in 2016 for games of the Swiss Ice Hockey Championship for the seasons 2017-2022. It refused to supply Swisscom with access to the matches for years, Comco found, adding that this practice is illegal under anti-trust law.
UPC has built a dominant position in the market for live broadcasting of ice hockey matches on pay TV. It has abused market dominance by refusing Swisscom any offer to show live ice hockey until summer 2020, Comco noted. In July UPC and Swisscom agreed a deal to offer each other access to their premium content.
The company can appeal against the decision before the Federal Administrative Court. UPC said in a statement that it disagrees with Comco’s decision and will file an appeal before the Court.
