Project Kangaroo (SeeSaw), the joint BBC, ITV and Channel 4 broadband Internet TV (IPTV) / Video-on-Demand (VOD) service, has been referred to the Competition Commission (CC) by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The move will trigger an investigation that could add further delays to Kangaroo's launch.

The original OFT investigation began earlier this month (news) and followed complaints from rivals Sky and Virgin Media, which feared that the service could allow several broadcasters to abuse their public service positions for an unfair competitive advantage:


Concerns arise because the concentration of these important and competing libraries of UK TV programming may give market power to the joint venture, enabling it to charge higher prices in syndicating content to wholesale customers, and potentially raise DTR and DTO prices paid by VOD consumers, or limit the range of ways in which viewers can watch the parties' content on demand.

The Competition Commission (CC) has set a deadline for the investigation of 12th December 2008.