Sky Italia angry at extension of soccer probe

News Corp-backed Sky Italia has reacted angrily to the extension of an investigation into the Italian pay TV operator’s soccer rights.

Italy’s competition regulator said yesterday that it will broaden the scope of its review of Sky’s soccer rights ownership to include rights to the Champions League competition. It had previously been focused on rights to World Cup matches. The investigation has been extended until end-June 2012, the regulator said.

Sky swiftly posted an angry response to the news. In a statement it said that it had complied with the investigation and its extension was unwarranted groundless. It added that it was “astonished” by the lengthening of the probe.