The Commerce Commission has received a clearance application from NEP Broadcast Services New Zealand Limited to acquire from Sky Network Television Limited the assets of its outside broadcasting business, Outside Broadcasting Limited.
In New Zealand, both parties provide outside broadcasting and production services largely in relation to sporting and entertainment events.
NEP is the world's largest technical production company, facilitating the outside broadcast of live events in over 80 countries. NEP has been providing outside broadcasting services in New Zealand since 2018, when it acquired the assets of NZ Live. Before 2018, NEP brought outside broadcasting equipment into New Zealand to film the 2015 Cricket World Cup. NEP currently provides studio and outside broadcasting services to TAB New Zealand and other parties for sporting and entertainment events.
Sky is a New Zealand entertainment company that broadcasts live sport and makes a range of other entertainment content available to consumers through television broadcasts and digital streaming channels and apps. Through its outside broadcasting business, Sky films and produces a substantial portion of local sports content that Sky broadcasts and it also provides outside broadcasting services for entertainment events.
If the proposed acquisition completes, Sky will enter into a ten year supply agreement with NEP for outside broadcasting services in New Zealand.
A public version of the clearance application will be available shortly on the Commission's case register.
Background
We will give clearance to a proposed merger if we are satisfied that the merger is unlikely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market.
