Mexico. The Investigating Authority of the Federal Institute of Telecommunications, IFT, issued the Preliminary Opinion regarding the existence of economic agents with substantial power in the relevant market for the provision of restricted television and audio service.
The investigation was initiated and substantiated taking into consideration the resolution issued by the Plenary of the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT) on December 10, 2014, regarding the notice of concentration between the economic interest group of which Grupo Televisa and Grupo Cable TV, S.A. de C.V. (Cablecom) is part.
From the elements analyzed during the investigation period, the Preliminary Opinion concludes that the relevant market corresponds to the provision of restricted television and audio service, through any transmission technology, with a local geographical dimension, adopting the municipality as a geographical unit of study1.
Similarly, it is concluded that as a result of the concentration with Cablecom, the economic interest group of which Grupo Televisa is part, it acquires or increases its substantial power in 99 relevant markets.
From the publication of the extract and the relevant data of the Preliminary Opinion, the Economic Competition Unit of the IFT will initiate a procedure in the form of a trial, in accordance with the provisions of article 96 of the Federal Law on Economic Competition, in order to release the evidence presented by those involved and make a draft resolution that, in due course, it will be submitted to the Plenary for consideration, so that, if applicable, the necessary measures are issued to avoid damage to competition in these markets.
At this stage, economic agents who prove to have an interest in the matter may participate, may express what is convenient to their right and offer the elements of conviction that they deem pertinent with respect to the Preliminary Opinion, within a period of twenty working days following the publication in the Official Journal of the Federation of the Relevant Data of the Preliminary Opinion.
