Advanced Television

Portugal: Football League opposes Sport TV structure

June 19, 2013

From Branislav Pekic in Rome

The Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP) is considering filing a complaint to the European Union against the joint control of Sport TV by Portugal Telecom and Zon Multimedia.

The move was announced by LPFP president, Mário Figueiredo, during a Parliamentary hearing with the members of the Committee for Ethics, Citizenship and Communication. During the meeting, he presented the concern of the League clubs in relation to the new shareholding structure of Sport TV, cliaming it will harm competition in the sports TV rights market, as Portugal Telecom and Zon have 90 per cent of the pay-TV market.

Sport TV is a pay-TV company that operates six sports-oriented TV channels in Portugal.

The new shareholding structure, which was notified to the Portugal’s Competition Authority on March 14th, will see Sportinveste owning 50 per cent of Sport TV, while Portugal Telecom and Zon will each have 25 per cent. Previously, Zon and Sportinveste each had 50 per cent.

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