Meheut says Canal Plus will contest TPS merger ruling

Vivendi president Bertrand Meheut has said Canal Plus will contest the French competition regulator’s decision to reverse its authorisation of its merger with rival pay TV service TPS five years ago.

In a development that shocked the pay TV operator, the regulator last week reversed its green light for the merger on the grounds that Canal Plus had failed to respect commitments it had made at the time.

It also fined Canal Plus €30 million for failing to comply with 10 key undertakings, including a commitment to make seven channels available to rival internet service providers as part of their own TV offerings.

In an interview with Le Monde newspaper, Meheut said Canal Plus would contest the regulator’s findings before the Conseil d’Etat. Meheut noted that the operator had been requested to notify the regulator within the next month that it had made the necessary changes, even though these changes were based on market conditions of five years ago, rather than the very different conditions of today.