CELEX: 32014M7179
Language: en
Date: 2014-04-23 00:00:00
Title: Commission Decision of 23/04/2014 declaring a concentration to be compatible with the common market (Case No COMP/M.7179 - SILVER LAKE / WME / IMG) according to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Only the English text is authentic)

|[pic]                             |EUROPEAN COMMISSION                                                                                      |
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                                        Brussels, 23.04.2014
                                        C(2014) 2790 final

|To the notifying party:                                           |                                                                          |
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Dear Madam(s) and/or Sir(s),

Subject:    Case M.7179– SILVER LAKE / WME / IMG
         Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004[1]

 1. On 20.03.2014, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the  Merger  Regulation  by
    which Silver Lake Group, L.L.C. ("Silver Lake", USA) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control  of  the
    whole of the WME Entertainment Parent, LLC ("WME", USA) and of IMG Worldwide Holdings, Inc. ("IMG", USA)[2].

 2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

      -     Silver Lake is a global leader in technology investing, with over USD 20 billion in combined assets under management;

      -     WME is a talent agency providing representation and advice to clients in  sectors  including  film,  television,  music,  literature,
           theatre and public speaking;

      -     IMG is a sports, entertainment and media company that provides services including sports consulting,  multimedia  rights  management,
           events management and talent representation to companies and individuals in the sports and entertainment sectors.

 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[3].

 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.

                                        For the Commission
                                        (signed)
                                        Alexander ITALIANER
                                        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]         Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 89, 28.03.2014, p. 56.

[3]   OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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                                                                  PUBLIC VERSION

                                                           SIMPLIFIED MERGER PROCEDURE