The programmer AMC Networks initiated a lawsuit in the Free Competition Defense Court (TDLC in Spanish) against the Chilean telecommunications operator VTR for removing AMC’s channels from VTR’s line-up, a fact that occurred earlier this year. The stations involved are AMC, Film & Arts, El Gourmet, Sundance, Más Chic and Europa Europa.

This cause appears on the scene shortly after the judicial defeat of VTR against the Chilean TVI programmer for a similar situation. In that case, the channels (Via X, Zona Latina and ArtTV) were eliminated by the operator in 2016 and they had to be reinstated in August 2019, since it was proven that there was abuse of dominant position.

“VTR unjustifiably refused to continue distributing the channels that AMC represents, after offering rates that are not related to market conditions,” explains the programmer in the court document, where it is detailed that the offer of the operator implied a 50% reduction, and then 70%, in the payment for the content. In addition, one of the proposals of VTR would have been to eliminate the AMC and Sundance stations and continue with the rest.