Cleary Gottlieb represented SKY Italia before the EU Commission and obtained relief of a commitment preventing it from participating in the public tender for the allocation of nationwide digital terrestrial television (DTT) frequencies in Italy. The commitment was given in 2003, when News Corporation acquired control of Telepiù Spa and Stream Spa, which gave rise to a new digital satellite television company named SKY Italia. Under the commitment SKY Italia was not allowed to operate as a DTT infrastructure owner. The decision will allow the company to bid for one multiplex and to use it only to broadcast free-to-air TV, but not pay-TV.
