Abstract

The strong growth of different types of online video-on-demand (VoD), ie nonlinear audiovisual media services, including both Paid-for VoD like Amazon Prime and Netflix and Advertised-financed VoD like YouTube increasingly challenges the leading position of “traditional” (terrestrial, cable, satellite) television, ie linear audiovisual media services. Competition policy decisions in such dynamic markets are always particularly challenging. The German competition authority was presented such a challenge when, at the beginning of the 2010s, German television providers sought to enter online VoD markets with the help of cooperative portals. We review the antitrust concerns that were raised back then in an ex post analysis. We derive four aspects, in which the previous antitrust analysis cannot be upheld from today’s perspective. First, relevant implications of modern platform economics were neglected. Secondly, some inconsistencies in the assessment of the two projects appear to be inappropriate. Thirdly, the emerging competitive pressure of international VoD providers was strongly underestimated. Fourthly, the question of market power in online advertising markets looks very different at the end of the decade.

中文翻译：

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视频点播市场中的反托拉斯政策：以德国为例

摘要

各种类型的在线视频点播（VoD）的强劲增长，即非线性视听媒体服务，包括Amazon Prime和Netflix等付费VoD和YouTube等广告资助的VoD，正日益挑战“传统”视频的领先地位（地面，有线，卫星）电视，即线性视听媒体服务。在这种充满活力的市场中，竞争政策的决策总是特别具有挑战性。当2010年代初，德国电视提供商试图在合作门户网站的帮助下进入在线VoD市场时，德国竞争管理机构就面临着这样的挑战。我们在事后分析中回顾了当时提出的反托拉斯问题。我们得出四个方面，从今天的角度来看，以前的反托拉斯分析不能成立。第一的，忽略了现代平台经济学的相关含义。其次，在两个项目的评估中有些不一致之处似乎是不合适的。第三，强烈低估了国际视频点播提供商正在出现的竞争压力。第四，在本世纪末，在线广告市场中的市场支配力问题看起来截然不同。