CELEX: 32016M8034
Language: en
Date: 2016-07-04 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 04/07/2016 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.8034 - VERIZON / HEARST / DREAMWORKS / AWESOMENESS TV) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |

                                        Brussels, 4.7.2016
                                        C(2016) 4333 final

                                        [pic]

                                        To the notifying parties

Dear Sirs,

Subject:    Case M.8034 – VERIZON / HEARST / DREAMWORKS / AWESOMENESS TV
         Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[1] and Article 57 of the Agreement on the
         European Economic Area[2]

 1. On 10 June 2016, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by
    which the undertaking Verizon Media LLC, ("Verizon" of the United States) acquires within the meaning  of  Article  3(1)(b)  of  the  Merger
    Regulation, joint control of the whole of the undertaking AwesomenessTV Holdings, LLC  ("AwesomenessTV"  of  the  United  States),  a  joint
    venture currently held by Hearst Group ("Hearst" of the United States), and DreamWorks  Animation  SKG,  Inc  ("DreamWorks"  of  the  United
    States), by way of purchase of shares.[3]

 2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

  – for Verizon: provider of communications, information and entertainment products and  services  to  consumers,  businesses  and  governmental
    agencies;

  – for  Hearst: provision of media and information, including ownership in cable television channels, newspapers  and  investments  in  digital
    and video companies;

  – for DreamWorks: company creating animated feature  films,  original  TV  series,  shorts,  interactive  media,  live  entertainment,  themed
    experiences, consumer products, publishing, and trailblazing technology;

  – for AwesomenessTV: producer of video content.

 3. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that the notified operation  falls  within  the  scope  of  the
    Merger Regulation and of paragraph 5(c) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment  of  certain  concentrations  under
    Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.[4]

 4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European Commission has decided not to oppose  the  notified  operation
    and to declare it compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b)
    of the Merger Regulation and Article 57 of the EEA Agreement.

                                        For the Commission

                                        (Signed)
                                        Johannes LAITENBERGER
                                        Director-General

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[1]   OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the 'Merger Regulation'). With effect from 1 December 2009, the Treaty on the Functioning of the  European  Union
    ('TFEU') has introduced certain changes, such as the replacement of 'Community' by 'Union' and 'common market'  by  'internal  market'.  The
    terminology of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision.
[2]   OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the 'EEA Agreement').
[3]   Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 221, 18.06.2016, p. 7.
[4]   OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE

                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION