Dutch regulator clears Videoland takeover of Viaplay Nederland

The Netherlands’ competition regulator has approved Videoland’s takeover of Viaplay Nederland, concluding that the deal is not expected to harm viewers, the market for sports rights or the sale of advertising space. The Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM) says sufficient competition will remain after the transaction. [1]

Videoland, part of DPG Media, is taking over Viaplay Nederland’s sports rights and programming. The package includes Dutch broadcasting rights for Formula 1, Premier League football, darts and hockey, among other sports, and is valued at €142 million. About 50 Viaplay Nederland employees will also move to DPG Media, according to Nieuws.nl. [1]

The deal will expand DPG Media, which also owns newspapers and news outlets including AD and NU.nl, as well as RTL. The ACM says Viaplay Nederland is a relatively small operator with a specialised sports offering, so DPG’s market share will increase only modestly. It also says the takeover is unlikely to have a significant effect on the diversity of opinion because Viaplay Nederland is not a news platform. [1]

Viaplay, the Swedish company, has faced a decline in subscribers and wants to focus on northern Europe, Nieuws.nl reports. [1]