The proposed merger of Nielsen and the advertising arm of Ebiquity has been referred for an in-depth probe after the companies failed to satisfy concerns raised by the UK’s competition watchdog.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) previously warned that the two firms faced limited competition if they joined forces, and asked them to provide “acceptable undertakings” to avoid a more rigorous investigation.
Were such undertakings not forthcoming, the CMA had stated said it would refer the merger for an in-depth (phase 2) investigation. Nielsen and Ebiquity have not offered any undertakings and the CMA will now refer the merger for an in-depth investigation by an independent group of panel members, supported by a team of CMA staff. The team has 24 weeks to complete the process.
Full Content: UK Government
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