Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9299 – Discovery/Polsat/JV) (Text with EEA relevance) 2020/C 234/05
Date: 2020-07-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, high-definition television, merger control, pay television, private media, programmes industry








C_2020234EN.01000601.xml










16.7.2020   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 234/6






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.9299 – Discovery/Polsat/JV)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2020/C 234/05)

1.   
On 7 July 2020, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Discovery Communications Europe Limited (‘Discovery’, UK), belonging to Discovery, Inc. (‘Discovery Group’, US),










—


Cyfrowy Polsat S.A. (‘Polsat’, Poland), controlled by Zygmunt Solorz.




Discovery and Polsat acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of a newly created company constituting a joint venture (‘JV’, Poland).
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






—


Discovery: is a media company belonging to the global Discovery Group, which produces TV channels and provides TV content across multiple distribution platforms, including linear platforms such as pay and FTA television, and various digital distribution platforms around the world. Discovery is active in Poland through its controlling interest in the Polish media and entertainment group, TVN, which broadcasts a range of TV channels in Poland as well as the distribution of Discovery and Eurosport branded channels,










—


Polsat: is the operator of a satellite digital pay-TV platform and broadcaster of TV channels. Polsat also offers Video on Demand services and other services such as the Ipla platform.




The JV will operate an Over-The-Top Video on Demand service in Poland and other Member States. The new service will include local productions supplied by Discovery and Polsat, acquired TV content and new Polish series commissioned specifically by the new entity. The JV platform may also distribute the TV channels of the parents and other third parties.


3.   

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.



4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.9299 – Discovery/Polsat/JV
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
Fax +32 22964301
Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).