The matter was reported by two sources with direct knowledge of the situation.
According to the sources, Sky filed the lawsuit with the Milan Court in recent weeks, following a 2023 ruling by the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) which found that the agreement between TIM and DAZN for the 2021-2024 Serie A rights was restrictive of competition.
In 2021, the streaming platform DAZN secured the rights to broadcast all Serie A matches in Italy for the following three seasons for 2.5 billion euros - a significant blow to Sky Italia - subsequently entering into a distribution partnership with TIM.
In its claim for damages, Sky contends that the agreement between TIM and DAZN was designed to exclude it from the market and is seeking approximately 1 billion euros in compensation for lost profits, according to the sources.
The total amount reaches 1.9 billion euros when including interest and damages related to brand devaluation, the sources added.
All parties involved declined to comment.
In 2023, the Italian antitrust regulator fined TIM and DAZN 800,000 euros and 7.2 million euros respectively, after the two companies had modified certain clauses of the 2021 agreement that granted TIM preferential distribution rights and limited DAZN's ability to collaborate with competing telecoms operators.
The antitrust decision became final last year when it was upheld by the Council of State, following a series of appeals that led to a reduction of DAZN's fine to 3.6 million euros last January.
(Elvira Pollina, Translated by Jasmine Mazzarello, editing Andrea Mandalà)
