Italian communications watchdog to give opinion on Sky Italia probe

The Italian communications authority, l’Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni, will give its opinion tomorrow (Wednesday) on an investigation by the country’s competition watchdog, l’Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, into the sports-rights acquisitions of pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia.

According to the Reuters news agency, under Italian law, the communications authority is required to give its opinion on anything relating to media or communications when the competition authority carries out an antitrust investigation.

The competition authority will make its ruling at the end of the month.

The competition authority’s deadline was extended from December 31 2012 to April 30 2013 after having previously been extended from June 30 2012.

The investigation covers deals for the Fifa World Cup and the Uefa Champions League.