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U.S. Studios Agree to End Geoblocking in Europe Union

By Simon Taylor
April 01, 2019

The European Commission has accepted commitments made by The Walt Disney Co, NBCUniversal Media, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros Entertainment and Sky TV to end the practice of “geoblocking” their content, an agreement that brings to an end a years-long antitrust case. Under the agreement, the studios and Sky UK will open up pay-TV markets, allowing consumers across the European Union (EU) to access to a wider range of content regardless of their location. Previously, the content could only be accessed in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The commission, the EU's antitrust watchdog, announced it would accept the offers that came from the five companies late last year. The offers are legally binding, the commission said, and if the companies fail to honor their commitments, they could be fined up to 10% of their global turnover.

The entertainment/media companies made the offers in November and December 2018, after an investigation launched by the commission in 2015 found that the companies were involved in anticompetitive behavior.

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