BT’s YouView customers are unlikely to gain access to Sky Sports 1 & 2 for the foreseeable future after Ofcom refused to grant BT an interim order awarding it access to the channels.
BT has asked the regulator to investigate Sky for “an abuse of dominance” after the two companies failed to agree a carriage deal for Sky Sports 1 & 2 on YouView.
Under the terms of an existing deal, BT is able to offer the channels to users of its legacy BT Vision service, however Sky has refused to allow it to offer them to users of the new YouView boxes.
BT claims its rival is making wholesale supply of SS1&2 conditional on it in return wholesaling BT Sport channels to Sky.
The sports newcomer has so far agreed no wholesale deals with UK providers and is instead selling the channels direct to Sky customers and providing them free of charge to its own broadband customers.
As part of its complaint, BT asked Ofcom to grant it access to the Sky channels pending the outcome of its investigations
However on Thursday Ofcom announced it had refused BT’s request.
In a statement the regulator said: “We are continuing with our investigation of BT’s Complaint. In the initial phase of the investigation in Summer 2013, we expect to gather further information using our powers under the Competition Act 1998, and to analyse this information.
“We expect this initial analysis to inform consideration of whether and how to proceed further with the investigation, during Autumn/Winter 2013. We would aim to provide an updated indicative timetable when we have concluded the initial phase described here.”
