UK regulator Ofcom will not launch a competition review into IPTV venture YouView, dismissing complaints from BSkyB and 12 other parties.
YouView’s attackers, which also include cable and broadband operator Virgin Media, argue that YouView is…
UK regulator Ofcom will not launch a competition review into IPTV venture YouView, dismissing complaints from BSkyB and 12 other parties.
YouView’s attackers, which also include cable and broadband operator Virgin Media, argue that YouView is anti-competitive and will damage the wider IPTV sector. They accuse its JV partners, which include telcos BT and Talk Talk, of being incentivized to withhold content from competing platforms.
However, Ofcom ruled that it would be premature to open an investigation based on these concerns, because IPTV is an emerging sector and YouView is still early in development.
“It would be premature at the current stage of YouView’s development given the absence of a clear risk of consumer harm,” said Ofcom CEO Ed Richards.
YouView CEO Richard Halton, who last week accused Sky of trying to delay the regulatory process with a last-minute call for an inquiry, welcomed Ofcom’s decision.
“We have been clear throughout this process that YouView will stimulate competition in the TV platform market and create opportunities for content providers and device manufacturers,” said Halton.
“Most importantly it represents a great consumer proposition … In a market dominated by pay services, we are creating the only mass market IPTV service that will be subscription free.”
With the green-light, YouView will now push ahead with plans to launch in the first half of next year.
