This paper challenges the traditional economic reasons supporting copyright licensing exclusivity in dealership agreements in media markets. It argues that, in Europe, exclusive dealings in content distribution acted as barriers to entry and/or raised rivals' cost strategies against new Pay-TV operators. The removal of exclusive dealing clauses, as recently implemented by the European Commission, can be economically justified when it generates positive impacts on technological innovation and on the development of alternative transmission platforms for the delivery of multimedia services. Recent European Antitrust decisions seem to encourage a new '?open access approach' for premium content distribution in the media industry.