Sky Deutschland Files Formal Complaint In Regional Court About Bundesliga Rights Auction

German pay-TV network Sky Deutschland "has filed a formal complaint in the Dusseldorf regional court" about how the Bundesliga's live broadcasting rights on TV and the Internet "have been apportioned," according to Peitsmeier & Michael Ashelm of the FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG. A Sky spokesperson "confirmed the formal complaint." The pay-TV operator "is unhappy with the design of the Bundesliga auction." The complaint "will have no effect on the current rights auction, which is set to end on Thursday." The current Bundesliga rights auction for the first time included a "no-single-buyer rule," which prohibits a single bidder from acquiring all live broadcast across all media platforms. Sky believes that the new rule, which was recommended to the German Football League (DFL) by the German cartel office, could impact Sky's business model, which is based on exclusivity (FAZ, 6/8).