BeIN Levies Carriage Discrimination Complaint at Comcast

Comcast is favoring its NBC Sports and NBC Universo in issues like tier placement and authentication for online viewing, beIN Sports said in a docket 12-1 program FCC carriage complaint Friday. It said its sports programming is similarly situated with the NBC properties, but the cable operator puts beIN soccer programming in tiers with lower subscriber penetration and doesn't give beIN the right to authenticate Comcast viewers for online watching via the beIN website and app, though it authenticates the MVPD's viewers for online watching of Comcast-affiliated soccer. BeIN said Comcast wouldn't let it be part of a direct-to-consumer product, though it offers NBC Sports and Universo English Premier League games as such. It said such discriminatory behavior can be due only to "Comcast’s desire to favor its affiliates over these affiliates’ competitor." It asked Comcast be found in violation of Communications Act Section 616, covering regulation of carriage agreements, and the Comcast/NBCUniversal order, and require the MVPD carry beIN programming on terms that "compete fairly." Comcast didn't comment.