- The European Commission approved the acquisition of the Infront Sports & Media agency by the UK private equity house Bridgepoint Capital. The commission said that the transaction did not raise competition concerns because of the limited overlap in the business of the two companies. Bridgepoint also owns Dorna Sports, the organiser and commercial rights-holder of the MotoGP motorcycling series, while Infront is organiser and rights-holder of the rival Superbike series. The commission examined the impact of the merger on the sport’s regulator, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, as well as on teams and manufacturers, circuit owners, local promoters, broadcasters and advertisers. It found that the deal would “give rise to certain horizontal overlaps and conglomerate relations between the parties.” However, it said that the overlaps were limited and that customers would be able to source from alternative suppliers in all markets concerned. It also found that the merger would not give the merged entity “the possibility to engage in tying and/or bundling against teams and manufacturers, circuit owners and local promoters, advertisers and TV broadcasters because of the existing dynamics in each of the relevant markets.”
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