La Sexta and Antena 3 merger falls through
July 27, 2012
From David Del Valle in Madrid
The anticipated merger between Spain’s Antena 3 TV and La Sexta will not now take place following tough conditions imposed by the national competition authority on the operation.
La Sexta has ruled out the merger, accusing the CNC (National Competition Commission) of favouring Mediaset and Cuatro – the leading TV group in Spain following their own merger – in the TV market by imposing them tougher limits than those approved at the time of their merger in 2010.
Both Antena 3 and La Sexta claim that the conditions “distort the natural order” of European television.
The CNC has made the deal “de facto unfeasible” and put Antena 3 and La Sexta at “blatant competitive disadvantage with respect to Mediaset España,” Antena 3 added.