EU opens antitrust case against 6 US movie studios for limits on cross-border distribution

The European Union has opened an antitrust case against six major U.S. movie studios for preventing British satellite broadcaster Sky from showing their products outside the U.K. and Ireland.

The EU Commission, which assesses antitrust matters for the 28-country EU, said Thursday it has sent a statement of objections to Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros regarding "contractual restrictions" that prevent Sky offering their full services to consumers in other EU nations.

EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said that "European consumers want to watch the pay-TV channels of their choice regardless of where they live or travel in the EU."