Alleged abuse of dominant position in the online advertising sector

Lear assisted an association representing the Italian online advertising industry in setting out how the conducts of certain market participants may constitute a breach of art. 102 TFEU, with the aim of reporting it to the Italian Competition Authority. The Italian Competition Authority decided to launch an investigation aimed at ascertaining the existence of such an abuse of dominant position, and Lear is assisting Mediaset S.p.a., a major Italian broadcaster, in its participation to the Authority’s investigation. In particular, Lear was appointed by Mediaset for providing assistance in its hearing before the Authority and for the drafting of a document which thoroughly sets out how certain conducts may be detrimental to competition. These assignments also entailed a comprehensive analysis of the online advertising supply chain, carried out through desk research and interviews to market participants.