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The score right now: 1 to eMedia, 0 to MultiChoice. Competition Tribunal grants interim relief to eMedia to lift all restrictions to broadcast sporting events of national interest on the SABC channels on OpenView, meaning MultiChoice can't repeat what they did with the Rugby Wold Cup. Case still in progress. Final decision still to be decided. >>

TVSA Team
16 Apr 2024 17:17

eMedia's statement on it:

In October 2023, eMedia lodged a complaint with the Competition Commission and filed papers before the Competition Tribunal regarding a provision in the sub-licensing agreements concluded between Multichoice and the SABC that prevents the SABC from utilising third-party-owned platforms to transmit SABC channels, which broadcast national sporting events.

“We have taken issue with the attempts by Multichoice to bully the SABC in preventing a portion of the South African population from being able to access and view these events on Openview”.

Today, Multichoice was dealt a blow when the Competition Tribunal granted interim relief to eMedia to lift all restrictions to broadcast sporting events of national interest (soccer, rugby and cricket) on its Openview channels, effective immediately.

The tribunal has granted interim relief pending the final outcome of the complaint brought against Multichoice.

“We are satisfied that our perseverance to stop Multichoice’s anti-competitive behaviour has paid off. More so, we are delighted that the interest of the hundreds of thousands of viewers that rely on Openview for purposes of accessing the SABC’s Channels and who were precluded from viewing the World Cup Rugby and Cricket matches because of the restriction imposed by SuperSport has been heard.”

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