The European Commission approved UnitedGlobalCom Inc. subsidiary UPC Broadband’s acquisition of French cable company Noos on Tuesday, without imposing any conditions.
UPC Broadband, ultimately owned by U.S. group Liberty Media Corp., informed the Commission of its plans to buy Lyonnaise Communications SA, which trades under the Noos brand, from the French conglomerate Suez SA in early April. After six weeks’ examination the Commission concluded that the combination will control a modest share of the overall pay-TV market in France, it said in a statement. Other players in the French market include Canal+ SA, the country’s leading pay-TV company, TPS, a French satellite pay-TV operator, and NC Num