European Broadcasting Associations’ Statement on Connected TVs & Virtual Assistants

A broad coalition of European broadcasting organisations, including egta, signed a joint industry letter calling on the European Commission to consider the designation of connected TV operating systems and virtual assistants as core platform services under the Digital Markets Act.

The signatories invite the Commission to assess the designation of connected TV operating systems and virtual assistants under the DMA, and to consider, in the context of the forthcoming review of the Regulation, whether targeted adjustments may be needed to ensure the framework remains effective in addressing evolving market realities.

The coalition therefore calls on the European Commission to:

• Designate major connected TV OS and virtual assistant providers as gatekeepers
• If allegedly none of them meet the quantitative thresholds, to open a market investigation on the basis of the qualitative thresholds (Article 3(8))
• Review the definition of “business users” for the purpose of designating VAs as gatekeepers, in the context of the ongoing review of the DMA. The definition must be interpreted broadly, applied in a technology-neutral manner, and encompass all entities that significantly rely on the VA platform to reach end users.

Signatories (in alphabetical order)

1. Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT)
2. Association of European Radios (AER)
3. Asociace komerčních televizí (AKTV)
4. Slovak Television Broadcasters’ Association (ATVS)
5. Asociația Română de Comunicații Audiovizuale (ARCA)
6. Confindustria Radio Televisioni (CRTV)
7. European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
8. European association of television and radio sales houses (egta)
9. Televisión Comercial en Abierto (UTECA)
10. Verband Privater Medien (VAUNET)
11. Verband Österreichischer Privatsender (VOP)