Sport TV says it will challenge competition ruling

Portuguese sports broadcaster Sport TV has said it will challenge the decision by the country’s competition regulator to fine it €3.7 million for abuse of its dominant position.

The competition authority, the AdC, found that Zon Multimédia-backed Sport TV had abused its market position after receiving a complaint from cable operator Cabovisão in 2009 over the minimum remuneration demand by Sport TV for the supply of its sport channels.

Sport TV said the decision had come extremely lat – some four years after the initial complaint – and that it had only received the first contact from the regulator in February 2011. I t also argued that the penalty imposed on it was disproportionate and unjust.

Sport TV said the remuneration model was designed to meet the needs of a business that required significant capital investment, to ensure the creation of a dynamic business and to prevent the spread of piracy.