Competition watchdog green lights BT and Warner Bros sports broadcasting tie-up
The UK competition watchdog has given the BT Group and Warner Bros. Discovery joint venture the green light this morning.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was examining whether 50:50 tie-up would lead to “substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services.”
However, because the CMA has closed the case with no further action, the two media titans can now start working on pooling their services together, combining BT Sport and Eurosport UK.
Marc Allera, future Chairman of the JV and CEO BT’s Consumer division said: “Today is a huge milestone, as we now look toward day one of the new business, which we hope to be in the coming weeks.”
Andrew Georgiou, future board member of the JV and President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said the combination of the two services would be a “big win for fans in the UK & Ireland”.
Britain’s biggest broadband and mobile provider agreed the sports broadcasting deal with the US big dog back in May.
The CMA is in the midst of a separate investigation into BT, as well a number of other sports broadcasters, over potential collusion over freelancer pay.