The CNDC conditions the Disney-Fox merger and set changes in the sports signals

The National Commission for the Defense of Competition (CNDC) took almost three years to take a position on the merger of The Walt Disney Company and Twenty-First Century Fox INC., where the former took hold of the rights of the previous one, and now demands changes to avoid the expansion of a monopoly. In this sense, an official resolution was presented in which the aforementioned entity governed by the Ministry of Domestic Trade, where “the divestment of the firm on the acquisition of exclusive control of , was dictated and established conditions in the operation to restore effective competition”. In this sense, the multimedia is asked to modify its current scheme since it “decreases, restricts or distorts competition in a way that harms the general economic interest”. Currently in Argentina, it has 64% of the share corresponding to 7 of the 9 basic sports signals, the other two are T&C and DeporTV.

In this sense, aimed mainly at sport, it is stressed that it must disinvest “all the transmission rights related to sports competitions of which Fox was a licensor at the time of notification of the merger operation” and “the conditioning of transfer of rights will be sufficient if, at least, they will reach the so-called “Fundamental Contents””. This includes the Copa Libertadores, Champions League, NFL, MLB, Formula 1, UFC, WWE, Premier Boxing Champions, ACB League, World Rugby Sevens, ATP World Tour 250 – ATP Córdoba and in this part it is explained that, until a resolution is established, they must adhere to an open transmission format.

“Disney must broadcast openly and free of charge the relevant sporting events of each of the competitions defined as “fundamental content” and transmit under this same modality two matches of the local football league currently broadcast by the premium channel of Fox Sports, one of which must nevertheless be River or Boca”, notes the statement.” In addition, it must maintain a maximum of four basic sports linear signals on the grid”, in a measure that was not only taken in Argentina but in Mexico, the United States, Europe, Chile and Brazil, the competition authorities identified “specific effects and risks in their markets and also imposed certain conditions”.

Original source in Spanish