Published on: Aug 16, 2009
The Irish Times published an article this morning about a recent Competition Authority investigation into exclusive TV contracts in apartment blocks. You can read the full article here and the full ruling from the Competition Authority.
An investigation by the Competition Authority, carried out in response to numerous complaints by apartment dwellers who found themselves forced to subscribe to a particular service, has failed to find any evidence of anti-competitive practices.
The authority says exclusive agreements for pay-television services to apartments are unlikely to breach the Competition Act, so long as the period of exclusivity is for no longer than two years. Agreements lasting longer than two years may also be acceptable provided they meet certain conditions.
This is a disappointing ruling for apartment owners and we will be doing our best to find an alternative solution.
Have you been affected by this issue? Has your developer signed an agreement for more than two years? We want to hear from you at info@apartmentowners.ie.