A PYMNTS Company

EU: European Court overturns EC approval of UPC-Ziggo merger

By  |  October 26, 2017
EU: European Court overturns EC approval of UPC-Ziggo merger

The European General Court has overturned the European Commission’s approval of the merger between Dutch cable operators UPC and Ziggo. The court said the Commission in 2014 did not sufficiently look at competition on the market for premium TV content. Liberty Global, the owner of UPC, had at the time also its own TV channels. The appeal was filed by the cable operator’s’ main rival, KPN.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    The consequences of the ruling are not yet clear. The EC’s decision has been annulled, but that does not mean the merger will be nullified. The merger between UPC and Ziggo has already taken place and since been followed by a joint venture with Vodafone Netherlands.

    “It is now up to the European Commission to decide what they will do with it”, said spokesman Stefan Simons.

    The Commission, which can appeal against the ruling at the European Court of Justice, said it would “carefully analyse” the judgement.

    Full Content: Investing & Financial Times

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.