Colombia: Pay TV demands an end to ‘unfair competition’ from Netflix, Amazon

Galé Mallol, president of Colombia’s Association of Information and Communication Technologies Operators, (ASETIC), an association gathering 37 national broadcasters, spoke out against the world’s leading technology companies, which they say today compete unfairly with local Pay TV, as they are not subject to the same rules.

“If the rules of the game are not fair to everyone, pay-TV operators, who reach low-lying areas and in remote corners of the country, will begin to disappear,” said Mallol. “Platforms like Netflix or Amazon do not leave a single peso in the country. That is unfair competition against companies that are made of 100 percent Colombian capital.”

Mallol explained that traditional broadcasters must pay between 7.5% and 10% of gross revenues to local regulator ANTV, while internet operators only contribute 2.2% to Mintic. “This, without payment of licenses, royalties and other items for which we, as TV operators, are accountable” he added. Thus, as a first step, Asetic has called for the implementation of a single convergent regulator, which establishes the same rules for all.

Full Content: TodoTV News

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