For the first time ever a merger - has been referred to UOKIK by the European Commission upon request of the undertakings to the transaction.
The referred case is a merger between ITI and Canal+ media groups and covers two transactions:
- Canal+ and ITI taking joint control of TVN
- Canal+ and TVN taking joint control of Cyfra+ and ITI Neovision
Canal+ Group is part of the international group Vivendi, and operates in Poland as a pay satellite TV operator, Cyfra+.
Both TVN and ITI Neovision are part of the ITI Group. TVN broadcasts several licensed pay tv channels. ITI Neovision owns the Platform “n” satellite TV.
The merger was referred to, and is to be examined by, UOKiK because it affects competition in the Polish market.
Referral upon request of undertakings is not a common practice: only 67 transactions out of nearly 5,000 notified to the European Commission between 1990 and 2011 were referred to the national competition authorities.
