The European Commission has given the green light for News Corp. taking control of German pay-TV service Premiere. The competition regulator said News Corp. has pledged to allow third party access to Premiere’s DTH platform.
The decision follows a four week deliberation on the issue. Third parties already have access to the Premiere set-top box and the Commission said this has to continue in order for the German pay-TV market to stay open and competitive. The Commission also wrote that the changeover to a new encryption system (NDS) could lead to a possible closing of this market.
News Corp. said it will also allow third parties to the new system. The Commission will impose severe sanctions if this condition is not met.
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