Advanced Television

CMA

CMA expresses Broadcom/VMWare deal concerns

Broadcom’s $61 billion (€57bn) deal to buy VMware could lead to less innovation and drive up the cost of computer parts used by government, banks and telecoms, according to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Broadcom makes and sells specialist hardware components – such as network interface cards (NICs) and storage adapters – used […]

March 23, 2023By Colin Mann

CMA to review British Sky Broadcasting merger remedy

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is consulting on whether undertakings given by British Sky Broadcasting Group remain appropriate or need to be varied, superseded or released. The consultation will review merger undertakings given by British Sky Broadcasting Group plc in 2001 following a transaction in which it increased its shareholding of British Interactive […]

March 10, 2023By Colin Mann

CMA provisionally clears Viasat/Inmarsat merger

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally cleared the proposed merger between Viasat and Inmarsat following an in-depth review which revealed the business would likely face significant competition from both emerging and established players as the sector expands. While Viasat and Inmarsat compete closely, the merged company would be challenged by new competitor […]

March 1, 2023By Colin Mann

Viasat, Inmarsat deal hits EU antitrust buffer

Viasat’s $7.3 billion attempt to acquire London-based Inmarsat has hit a potential problem following an “in-depth” investigation by the a European Commission (EC), which says it is “concerned that the transaction may allow Viasat to reduce competition in the market for the supply of broadband in-flight connectivity (IFC) services to commercial airlines”. The Viasat/Inmarsat deal, […]

February 14, 2023

CMA: Microsoft/Activision deal could harm UK gamers

An investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally concluded that Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision could result in higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation for UK gamers. The provisional findings follow a wide-ranging investigation conducted over the last five months to understand the market and potential impact of the deal. […]

February 8, 2023By Colin Mann

Cardell named CEO of CMA

The UK Business Secretary, Grant Shapps, has appointed Sarah Cardell as the new CEO of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Cardell has held the position of Interim CEO since July 2022 following the departure of Andrea Coscelli. Cardell was previously General Counsel at the CMA with executive leadership responsibility for the CMA’s Legal Service, […]

December 20, 2022

Study: Music streaming competition benefits consumers

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its final report following its independent study into the music streaming market and found that consumers have benefited from digitisation and competition between music streaming services. Prices for consumers have fallen by more than 20 per cent in real terms between 2009 and 2021 – with […]

November 29, 2022By Colin Mann

CMA probes Broadcom, VMware merger

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating the anticipated $61 billion (€57bn) acquisition by semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions specialist Broadcom of enterprise software provider VMWare. The CMA is considering whether it is or may be the case that this transaction, if carried into effect, will result in the creation of a relevant […]

November 22, 2022By Colin Mann

CMA investigates cloud gaming, mobile browsers

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a market investigation into cloud gaming and mobile browsers after receiving widespread support for its proposals first published in June 2022. The CMA consulted on launching a market investigation alongside its Mobile Ecosystem Market Study report, which found that Apple and Google have an effective duopoly […]

November 22, 2022By Colin Mann

CMA orders Meta to sell Giphy

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that Meta’s takeover of Giphy could allow Meta to limit other social media platforms’ access to GIFs, making those sites less attractive to users and less competitive. It also found the deal has removed Giphy as a potential challenger in the UK display advertising market, preventing […]

October 18, 2022