competition court has granted interim relief to eMedia in its dispute with MultiChoice over the broadcasting of sports on its Openview free satellite platform sub-licensed by the SABC.
Last year, EMedia went to the Competition Commission after MultiChoice, which owns SuperSport, refused to allow the pay TV broadcaster to broadcast rugby and cricket matches on channels broadcast by the SABC via Open View. A lawsuit was filed.
According to a statement in court on Monday, eMedia accused MultiChoice of “abusing its dominant position by entering into an anti-competitive and restrictive sub-licensing agreement with the SABC”.
“eMedia has agreed that MultiChoice will broadcast major sporting events (such as rugby and cricket matches, including the World Cup tournament) sub-licensed to the SABC on the SABC’s channels distributed on eMedia’s Openview platform. claims to be impeding it.”
eMedia filed a complaint with the Competition Commission last year, which subsequently stated that “until the merits of the case are determined, MultiChoice cannot impose restrictions on existing sublicense agreements or include such restrictions in new sublicense agreements. It also asked the court for interim relief to “stop this from happening.”
“The court granted interim relief to eMedia pending final determination of the complaint before the Commission or six months, whichever is earlier,” the court said.
Forbidden
As a result, MultiChoice (including Supersport) and the SABC have implemented and enforced the restrictions in the existing sublicense agreement between the two companies, which prohibits public broadcasters from making these sports broadcasts available on Openview. was prohibited from doing so.
The companies were also restrained from including restrictions in future sports sublicense agreements that would prohibit the SABC from transmitting sublicensed broadcasts over Openview.
Read: eMedia and MultiChoice go to war
The Competition Tribunal said: “The reasons for the Tribunal's decision will be announced in due course.”
MultiChoice opposed EMedia's application for interim relief, arguing that “none of EMedia's complaints have any basis in competition law or fact.” – © 2024 News Central Media
