Merger Notification - Announcement according to § 10 Cartel Act
BBC Studios Distribution Limited; Granada Media Limited; Britbox International Limited
BWB/Z-5894
On 03.03.2022 the Austrian Federal Competition Authority was notified of the following merger:
Planned purchase process
BBC Studios Distribution Limited, London, United Kingdom, and Granada Media Limited, London, United Kingdom, has plans to expand the activites of their existing 50/50 full-function joint venture Britbox International Limited, London, United Kingdom, to Austria in 2023, either by way of (i) establishing a new wholly-owned subsidiary of BBI in Austria or (ii) registering a branch office of BBI in Austria. The JV would provide a subscription video on demand (SVOD) service in Austria. The BBC Group and ITV Group will ultimately exercise joint control over BBI.
Affected Industry: Television programming and broadcasting activities.
Industry sector: J - Information und Kommunikation
Deadline for bringing in an application pursuant to § 11(1) Cartel Act will end on 31.03.2022.
Entrepreneurs whose legal or economic interests are affected by the merger can bring in a written statement at the Federal Competition Authority or the Federal Cartel Prosecutor within 14 days from publication date.
Note: The intervening party has no right to a certain treatment of the statement and will not gain a party position.
Non-prohibition of the merger
The Federal Competition Authority and the Federal Cartel Prosecutor have not applied for examination of the merger by the Cartel Court. The standstill obligation (§ 17 (1) Cartel Act) ends with effect from 01.04.2022 .