Italy

[IT] AGCOM publishes the final commitments presented by DAZN 

IRIS 2022-7:1/23

Ernesto Apa & Eugenio Foco

Portolano Cavallo

The OTT platform DAZN, operating under German authorisation, has acquired the audiovisual rights to the Italian Serie A Championship, obtaining the possibility broadcasting all Serie A football matches (380 in total) for three years (2021-2024), of which 70% would be broadcast on an exclusive basis.

Through Resolution No. 334/21/CONS, AGCOM initiated proceedings to define the quality parameters for the fruition of the live streaming broadcasting services of the Italian Serie A Championship offered by DAZN in Italy and, also ordered the streaming platform to adopt several measures aimed at ensuring the quality of its services to customers.

The proceedings, which aimed to define the quality parameters for the fruition of live streaming broadcasting services, were closed through Resolution No. 17/22/CONS by which AGCOM adopted the aforementioned parameters (included in Annex A to Resolution No. 17/22/CONS) and required DAZN to comply with the measures provided therein within three months of having received the notification of the Resolution.

Given DAZN’s non-compliance with the order provided in Resolution No. 334/21/CONS, AGCOM initiated sanctioning proceedings through Resolution No. 1/22/DTC. In the context of the sanctioning proceedings, DAZN presented its final commitments which were published by AGCOM through Resolution 17/22/DTC. The commitments varied from the introduction of a specific WhatsApp channel to ensure customers are provided a prompt response from DAZN’s customer care unit to the creation of a joint monitoring team constituted by a representative from DAZN, a representative from AGCOM and a third party to be identified by mutual agreement. This monitoring team will oversee the activities undertaken in the context of the commitments presented by DAZN and identify, if necessary, possible areas of intervention.

Interested parties can send their observations on these commitments to AGCOM within thirty days of the publication of Resolution No. 17/22/DTC on AGCOM's website.


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This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.