Sony, BMG Combination Gets U.S. Antitrust Approval
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. antitrust authorities on Wednesday approved a deal for record companies Sony Music and BMG to merge, creating a rival to market leader Universal Music.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said it would not oppose the combination of Sony Music, a division of Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp., and BMG, a unit of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG.
“Upon further review of this matter, it now appears that no additional action is warranted by the commission at this time,” the agency said in a letter to each of the companies.
BMG said in a statement that the reviews by U.S. and European antitrust officials had been “diligent.”
“We now look forward to creating a global recorded music company comprising many of the world’s most successful artists as well as a vast catalog of recordings,” BMG said in its statement.
Combining the Sony Music and BMG creates a company with revenues of as much as $5 billion and brings under one roof such artists as Britney Spears, Usher, Elvis and Beyonce.
The FTC approval comes a week after the European Commission endorsed the deal. The EC imposed no conditions, but warned that it would look closely at any further proposed consolidation in the industry.
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