German broadcasters appeal against online video ruling

German commercial broadcasters RTL and ProSiebenSat.1 have appealed against the decision by the country’s Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) to stop them creating a joint online video platform.

The two broadcasters had planned to develop an advertising-funded online video platform for their own content and that of other companies that wished to participate, including the country’s public broadcasters. However, following an extended review period, the Bundeskartellamt came down against the move in March, citing concerns about the degree of openness of the platform to other providers. RTL and ProSiebenSat.1 have maintained that the platform should only be open to content providers that meet professional standards.