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Markiza and Joy ad-skipping disabling

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TV Markíza & TV Joj, Slovakia's two largest commercial broadcasters, disabled ad-skipping & fast-forwarding during commercial breaks in IPTV archive & catch-up services in mid-2025, removing a feature that had been included in paid subscriptions.[1] The restrictions began with Markíza on May 21, 2025, followed by Joj in July 2025.[2] 4ka rolled out the blocks on June 23 & July 15, 2025,[3] & Orange Slovensko implemented the Markíza block on June 18, 2025 & announced the Joj block would take effect on July 16, 2025.[4][5] Slovakia's Antimonopoly Office (PMÚ) expanded an ongoing administrative proceeding against TV Markíza in late July 2025 & opened a separate proceeding against TV Joj in August 2025, then publicly announced both investigations on September 30, 2025, alleging abuse of dominant market position & imposing potential fines of up to 10 percent of their global turnover.[6]

Background

Slovakia's commercial television market is dominated by two broadcasters: TV Markíza & TV Joj.[2] IPTV archive & catch-up services allow subscribers to view programs after their original broadcast, typically with the ability to pause, rewind, & fast-forward through content.[3] Before May 2025, fast-forwarding through commercial breaks was a standard function of these services.[3]

Ad-skipping restrictions

TV Markíza implemented a technical solution to disable ad-skipping on May 21, 2025, compelling telecommunications operators to deploy the restriction across their networks.[2] Orange Slovensko rolled out the block for Markíza channels on June 18, 2025,[4] & 4ka followed on June 23, 2025.[3] 4ka stated it had resisted the broadcaster mandate for more than a year before implementing the restrictions.[3] The affected Markíza channels included Markíza, Doma, Dajto, Krimi, & Klasik.[3]

TV Joj mandated the restriction in July 2025.[2] 4ka deployed the block for Joj channels on July 15, 2025,[3] & Orange Slovensko announced it would implement the restriction on July 16, 2025.[5] The affected Joj channels included JOJ, JOJ Plus, & WAU.[3]

The restrictions prevent subscribers from skipping advertising blocks in archive programming. When a subscriber opens an affected program, the system allows 60 seconds of free navigation before locking forward skip for the remainder of the program. During the marked segment, the fast-forward & skip functions are disabled.[7]

4ka introduced a paid add-on called "Bez reklám" (No Ads) priced at €4 per month, which enables subscribers to skip advertising blocks on JOJ channels (JOJ, JOJ Plus, and WAU).[3]

Markíza's response

Markíza CEO Peter Gažík stated in May 2025, as reported by omediach.com:

Z našej strany ide o dlho pripravovanú reakciu na súčasné trendy. Sme komerčná televízia, ktorá hlavne vďaka príjmom z reklamy dokáže produkovať kvalitné vlastné programy, filmy či seriály, obľúbené u našich divákov a diváčok. Zavedením tejto funkcionality dosiahneme odstránenie rozdielu medzi sledovaním televízie a reklám v reálnom čase a pri sledovaní s časovým posunom, ako aj porovnateľné nastavenie, ktoré je aplikované pri iných online platformách.

[2]

PMÚ investigation

In late July 2025, the PMÚ expanded an ongoing administrative proceeding against TV Markíza to include the ad-skipping restrictions.[2] In August 2025, the PMÚ opened a separate administrative proceeding against TV Joj.[2] On September 30, 2025, the PMÚ publicly announced investigations into both broadcasters.[1][8]

The proceedings allege abuse of a dominant market position under Slovak Act No. 187/2021 Coll. on the Protection of Competition.[9] If the PMÚ finds a violation, the broadcasters face fines of up to 10 percent of their global turnover.[6]

The Telecommunications Union of the Slovak Republic (TUSR), an industry association representing operators, formally welcomed the PMÚ investigation in October 2025.[10]

Consumer response

Subscribers reacted to the restrictions with complaints about what TechByte.sk described as a feeling of "double paying"; paying for IPTV service while being forced to watch advertisements they previously could skip.[10]

In June 2022, FTV Prima, a Czech commercial broadcaster, imposed similar ad-skipping restrictions on its IPTV archive service.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "PMÚ launches probe into Markíza & JOJ over ad-skipping restrictions". Broadband TV News. October 2, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Protimonopolný úrad začal konať proti JOJ a Markíze pre obmedzenie možnosti pretáčania reklám". Omediach.com. September 30, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "Pretáčanie reklám". 4ka. 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Vanessa Teluchová (June 18, 2025). "Ďalší veľký operátor blokuje pretáčanie reklám na Markíze: Reklamy v archíve už nepreskočíte ani po 3 minútach". Mediaklik. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Filip Maxa (July 15, 2025). "Zákaz pretáčania reklám pri JOJ: Kedy s ním začne veľký operátor. Bude iný než pri Markíze". Živé.sk. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Slovak PMÚ Investigates TV Markíza and TV JOJ for Potential Market Abuse". Antitrust Intelligence. October 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Reklamy na TV staniciach Markíza a JOJ už nepretočíte". IMAFEX. 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  8. ↑ Filip Maxa (September 30, 2025). "Markíza a JOJ majú problém: Štát ich preveruje pre obmedzené pretáčanie reklám". Živé.sk. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Zákon o ochrane hospodárskej súťaže". Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky. 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Markíze aj JOJ-ke klepli po prstoch: Majú ZRUŠIŤ obmedzenie". TechByte.sk. October 7, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Czech Prima to stop ad-skipping". Broadband TV News. May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
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