BSkyB challenged over stranglehold on blockbuster movies

The Competition Commission said BSkyB’s exclusive deals with six of the big studios over the rights to films when they are first shown on television restricted competition and meant higher prices and reduced choice and innovation for viewers.

BT and Virgin Media have led calls for the way the market is structured to be changed to allow them greater access.

In its provisional findings following a year-long inquiry, the commission said in future it may restrict the number of studios that BSkyB can sign exclusive deals with and also the nature of the rights it can sign so that services such as video on demand can be provided by other suppliers.

It may also require Sky to offer any movie channel run by another group to its own subscribers on a wholesale basis.

Laura Carstensen, chairman of the investigation, said: “Sky has had control of recent movie content on pay TV for many years. At the heart of the problem is Sky’s strong position in the pay-TV market, with twice as many subscribers to pay TV as all other traditional pay-TV retailers put together.

“This provides Sky with a great advantage when it comes to bidding for movie rights, which no rival bidder has yet been able to overcome – and, if things stay as they are, we see no likely prospect of change.”

BSkyB said it noted the provisional ruling and added: “BSkyB continues to believe that no regulatory intervention is required and that consumers benefit from high levels of choice, value and innovation across a wide range of providers.”

Around one third of the UK’s 15 million pay-TV viewers are estimated to subscribe to Sky Movies.