UK media regulator Ofcom has dismissed a complaint over pay-television broadcaster BSkyB’s refusal to carry advertising for telecommunications company BT’s new pay-television sports service.
Ofcom ruled on Thursday that Sky had not unduly discriminated against BT by refusing to show the advertisements on Sky’s own sports channels.
The regulator is continuing to investigate a separate complaint by BT over the wholesale prices of Sky’s sports channels for BT’s internet-television service YouView. BT has claimed that the terms under which Sky offered its main sports channels, Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2, reflected an abuse of Sky's market dominance.
BT is preparing to launch a new pay-television sports service in the UK this summer, challenging Sky’s long-held dominance in the market.