Vodafone Spain has sealed an agreement with rival telecommunications company Telefónica that will allow it to show coverage of the Formula One motor-racing championship and the MotoGP motorcycle-racing series.
Earlier this year, Vodafone filed a complaint with the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y La Competencia, Spain’s competition regulator, over Telefónica’s apparent unwillingness to make its coverage of the series available on rival platforms until July.
Vodafone claimed that the situation contravened a condition imposed by the CNMC when the regulator gave the green light to Telefónica’s takeover of Spanish pay-television operator Canal Plus in April 2015. The condition said Telefónica must share 50 per cent of its premium content, such as movies and sports coverage, with its rivals.
Vodafone requested access to Formula One and MotoGP coverage in January, but was notified that it would have to wait until July when Telefónica reviews its wholesale tariffs, meaning that Vodafone would miss out on coverage of a significant portion of the 2016 F1 and MotoGP seasons.
Coverage of F1 on Vodafone Spain will begin from the start of the 2017 season.
Under the agreement, Vodafone will continue to carry the Movistar Estrenos movie channel until March 2017, before it is replaced by coverage of F1 and MotoGP.