UPC considers legal action against the award of football rights
UPC-CEO Eric Tveter zeigt sich im Interview mit der SonntagsZeitung zufrieden mit dem Start von MySports – und unerbittlich im Kampf gegen den Sportkanal-Konkurrenten Swisscom.
MySports should have "significantly more" subscribers than Teleclub in the future, says Tveter - who, in an interview with the Sonntagszeitung, is satisfied with the start of the new UPC sports channel, which went live on Friday. He says MySports Pro had already gained 20,000 subscribers before the channel was even live - Teleclub, by contrast, had "only around 100,000 subscribers" at the best of times. The price is said to make the difference: Teleclub's offer costs too much, the UPC product is only half as expensive.
According to Tveter, UPC plans to invest CHF 300 million in MySports over the next five years. Asked whether the money invested will be recouped, the CEO is confident: "Absolutely.
The fact that the new developments in the TV market for the end user not only advantages I know that the new, more competitive TV world means a change for some fans," he says. But it's better for sports, he says, because they get more money - which ultimately benefits the customer.
UPC is considering legal action
Meanwhile, the fronts regarding soccer and ice hockey rights seem to be more hardened than ever. Swisscom also wants to show Swiss ice hockey on Teleclub. But there are no longer any negotiations, says Tveter: "Swisscom has not made us a reasonable offer." Swisscom had filed a complaint with the Weko in April (Werbewoche.ch reported)but these have not yet been addressed (Werbewoche.ch reported).
Tveter does not see any parallels with the Swisscom case, when the Competition Commission (Comco) fined the company 72 million Swiss francs because, in its view, it had a monopoly on soccer rights: At the time, he says, the Weko did not penalize exclusivity, but the way Swisscom obtained the rights and because it discriminated against other companies when passing on the rights. "We already give MySports to other providers and distribution partners, on equal terms for all. Therefore, legally speaking, we are on safe ground."
Not off the table for Tveter is the awarding of the football rights in 2017, in which the company was passed over even though it had offered the highest price. "We are considering a lawsuit against the football league and against Swisscom over the award of the football rights," says the UPC CEO. However, a decision has not yet been made. (hae)
