On Tuesday 12 November, the European Commission gave the green light, under certain conditions, to the acquisition by the Swedish telecommunications operator Telia of the Bonnier Broadcasting group, owner of TV4, Sweden’s leading commercial channel.
On 10 May, the Commission opened an in-depth investigation into the acquisition, fearing that Telia would find itself in a dominant position in the audiovisual sector in Finland and Sweden. In particular, the Commission was concerned that this would lead to higher prices and reduced choice of television channels and audiovisual content for consumers, both in traditional television and on the Internet.
To allay these concerns, Telia (the incumbent operator in which the Swedish State is still a major shareholder) has promised a series of remedies, valid in Finland and Sweden, for a period of ten years. The announcement of the takeover in July 2018 caused teeth to grind in Sweden, where opposition leaders said they feared a dominant position for the state in the audiovisual sector.
Telia’s portfolio of commitments to the European Commission includes licensing for competing TV distributors in Finland and Sweden (with fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms), free-to-air and basic pay-TV channels, as well as premium pay-TV channels, from the merged entity. Link to the Commission's press release: https://bit.ly/32G7qNf (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)