United Kingdom: Ofcom lifts the requirement to distribute Sky Sports 1 and 2 on BT platforms

Ofcom, the UK independent authority which regulates telecommunications competition, has lifted the requirement of the pay-TV group Sky plc. to distribute its channels Sky Sports 1 and 2 to its competitors, notably the telecommunications group BT, on 19/11/2015.

"The 'WMO' (wholesale must-offer regulation', 'the distribution price' must mandatorily be lower than the selling price to individuals) was introduced in 2010 to promote choice and innovation for consumers through greater competition in pay-TV," said Ofcom. "Sky is now widely supplying these channels (Sky Sports 1 and 2) to other pay-TV providers on commercial terms," added the British body, which had launched a study on the conditions of distribution of Sky Sports 1 and 2 to other British TV operators on 16/04/2014.

BT TV, the television service provided by the BT group, offers Sky Sports 1 and 2 on its Vision+ box, launched in 2006 and will be phased out through a commercial agreement with Sky, and also on its last generation box YouView, since 16/12/2014, through the "WMO" regulation. BT will now have to sign a commercial…