Mexico. The Federal Institute of Telecommunications, IFT, approved the concentration by means of which Univision Holdings will indirectly acquire the share capital of Grupo Televisa and its business of production, distribution and licensing of audiovisual content in Spanish, and that, prior to the realization of the concentration, it will merge and / or acquire the other subsidiaries of Grupo Televisa that participate in that business.
The analysis carried out by the Institute focused on the coincidences between Univision Holdings and Grupo Televisa in the following activities belonging to the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors:
1. Production, provision and licensing of audiovisual content (programs) to aggregators (programmers) of channels for restricted television and audio service or restricted voice, television and audio (STAR) services;
2. Production, provision and licensing of audiovisual content (programs) to providers of commercial digital broadcast television service;
3. Production, provision and licensing of audiovisual content (programming channels, packages of channels and programs, including films and series) to providers of the Internet distribution service (Over The Top in English -OTT-) of audiovisual content;
4. Provision of the OTT distribution service of audiovisual content supported by advertising, and
5. Provision and sale of spaces for commercial messages or advertising through systems for the provision of digital OTT services, including digital platforms, distribution of audiovisual content, and Internet sites associated with channels and programs broadcast on open television and restricted television.
In this regard, no anti-competitive effects arising from the Transaction are foreseen in these coincidence activities of Univision Holdings and Grupo Televisa, largely due to Univision Holdings' marginal stake in Mexico. The authorization granted by the IFT does not prejudge the authorizations that the parties must obtain from other instances.
Grupo Televisa will maintain ownership of the telecommunications and broadcasting concessions in Mexico, under which it operates its broadcast television businesses and cable and satellite distribution of audiovisual content, including channels that are programmed by "Sky" and "Izzi" and the advertising that they have the right to market; it will also maintain its print publishing business; telephony, internet, and related telecommunications services; the operation of football teams and football stadiums, and gambling.
