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ARTICLE · 13 MARCH 2023

Dutch Competition Regulator Blocks Media Merger Between Talpa And RTL

Bird & Bird
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The Dutch competition regulator, theACM, has blocked a concentration between two of the biggest media companies in the Netherlands: Talpa Networks ("Talpa") and RTL Netherlands B.V. ("RTL"). RTL Group S.A. intended to acquire Talpa Network B.V. (the "Proposed Concentration").

NetherlandsAntitrust/Competition Law
Janneke Kohlen
Janneke Kohlen
Joost van Roosmalen
Joost van Roosmalen
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The Dutch competition regulator, theACM, has blocked a concentration between two of the biggest media companies in the Netherlands: Talpa Networks ("Talpa") and RTL Netherlands B.V. ("RTL"). RTL Group S.A. intended to acquire Talpa Network B.V. (the "Proposed Concentration"). The regulator believes that the Proposed Concentration would result in an impediment of effective competition as a result of the establishment of a dominant undertaking. Therefore, it decided not to grant a license for the Proposed Concentration

Background

Talpa and RTL are, next to the Dutch public broadcaster NPO, two of the biggest TV and radio broadcasters in the Netherlands. Jointly, they would own eight national TV channels and four national radio stations.

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