Sale of Multimedia to UPC Poland likely to go ahead – UOKiK

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) moved to the second stage of the procedure for the takeover of the company Multimedia Poland by UPC Poland, one of Poland’s largest digital cable and Internet broadband suppliers, UOKiK said in a press release on Wednesday. “The participants (UPC) are involved in the supply of, among other things, pay TV and Internet access. The terms of these services are in line with UOKiK’s previous case law, and with the market where competing entrepreneurs in the area of ​​the city,” the statement read. UOKiK added that the proceedings for the sale, which actually began in October of 2016, have been prolonged because they feared that the transaction would lead to lessening competition. It added that in particularly complex cases, such as this one, the procedure could very easily take more than the normal one month. In the preliminary agreement, Multimedia agreed to sell 100 percent of its shares for PLN 3 billion to UPC. The conclusion of the final contract of sale of shares is subject to release by the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection of consent for concentration.