EU clears tie-up between Disney and Fox

The transaction raised concerns over the wholesale supply of TV channels.

The European Commission on Tuesday approved Disney’s acquisition of parts of Fox on the condition that it divest a number of channels.

The transaction, which was notified to the Commission on September 14, raised concerns over the wholesale supply of TV channels. The Commission said that the deal would have eliminated competition between two strong suppliers of “factual channels” such as the National Geographic and History channels.

To address the Commission’s competition concerns, Disney committed to divest its interest in all factual channels it controls in the EEA, namely: History, H2, Crime & Investigation, Blaze and Lifetime channels. These channels are currently controlled by A+E Television Networks, which is a joint venture between Disney and Hearst.

The Commission also investigated the impact of the merger on the production and distribution of films for release in movie theaters, the distribution of content for home entertainment, and the licensing of TV content. No competition issues were identified in those markets.

CORRECTION: This article has been amended to reflect a new statement on divestments from the Commission.