Germany bans its ‘Hulu’
March 18, 2011
Germany’s competition regulator has prohibited the joint venture video portal proposed by RTL and ProSiebenSat.1. Following an earlier finding that the platform would have to be opened up, the companies had not agreed to offer concessions and therefore the Bundeskartellamt had decided to disallow the project.
As expected the regulator ruled that, as currently formulated, the platform would strengthen its partners domination of the TV advertising market. The TV companies have one month to lodge an appeal.