Public Consultation on the Review of the EU Satellite and Cable Directive

Currently consumers are prevented from accessing contents that are available in other Member States and this has an important impact on the availability of online audiovisual services - especially in those countries where there are very limited offers – and on the quality and affordability of such offers.

Geo-blocking in the audiovisual sector should be addressed in Europe by means of a targeted reform of the Satellite and Cable Directive. The regulatory concept of this directive could be extended to the Internet and, if properly implemented, used to solve the problem of geo-blocking in online audiovisual services across the EU.

Consumers should be able to access audiovisual services, like Video-on-Demand platforms, available in other member states like “local” consumers and without further adaptations e.g. subtitling or dubbing, which are elements left to traditional licensing models.