A PYMNTS Company

EU: Vivendi takeover of Telecom Italia approved

 |  May 30, 2017

Vivendi’s acquisition of Telecom Italia was cleared by the European Union’s antitrust watchdog Tuesday on the condition the Italian telecommunications operator divests its stake in its digital terrestrial network operator Persidera.

Vivendi holds a significant minority stake in Mediaset, which is also active in the market for the wholesale access to digital terrestrial television networks for the broadcast of TV channels, the EU said.

The European Commission said that after the transaction, Vivendi would have had an incentive to raise prices charged to television channels in that market.

Persidera is a joint venture between Telecom Italia and Gruppo Editoriale L’Espresso.

Full Content: Seeking Alpha

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