Antitrust fines Sky Italia for unfair commercial practices
December 10, 2025
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
The Italian Antitrust Authority has levied a €4.2 million fine against Sky Italia for engaging in three distinct unfair commercial practices. The ruling, detailed in the Authority’s weekly bulletin, comes after a period of scrutiny into Sky’s consumer interactions.
The largest portion of the fine, €2 million, was imposed for “misleading communications regarding price increases for TV subscriptions.” This refers to how Sky informed customers about impending price hikes, with the Authority finding the communication to be deceptive.
An additional €800,000 fine was issued for the “application of such increases to Now TV offers whose claim (‘until you cancel’) led to the belief that they were excluded.” Customers subscribing to Now TV under the impression of a fixed price until cancellation found themselves subject to unexpected increases, contradicting the service’s advertised terms.
Finally, a €1.4 million penalty was applied for “the offering of advantageous offers to customers, with the aim of customer retention, specifically through the activation of additional TV packages or additional services (Sky Wi-Fi), the promised terms of which were systematically not met on the invoice.” This practice involved Sky enticing existing customers with special deals to retain their business, only for the actual billing to deviate from the agreed-upon conditions.
Sky Italia has expressed surprise at the decision, noting: “We are surprised by the fine, as it comes despite Sky’s efforts to strengthen transparency and always put the customer first.” The company stated its intention to “evaluate all necessary actions in the appropriate venues,” suggesting a potential appeal.
Consumer advocates, while welcoming the news, believe more needs to be done. Massimiliano Dona, president of the National Consumers’ Union, argued for stricter regulations, including a requirement for prior, express consent from customers for any unilateral changes to contractual terms or price increases, rather than relying on tacit consent.
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