United Group's bid for Bulgaria's Bulsatcom faces antitrust probe

United Group, which owns telecommuncations operator Vivacom and Nova Broadcasting Group, last month sought approval from Bulgaria's Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC), to secure indirect control of Bulsatcom and its subsidiaries, causing telecoms operators A1 Bulgaria and Yettel Bulgaria to file appeals against the deal.

"The Commission found that the deal leads to horizontal overlap in the retail markets for the distribution of TV programmes and the provision of fixed internet access," the watchdog said in a statement. CPC noted that the transaction will also have vertical effects since Nova Broadcasting Group sells TV programme distribution rights in bulk, playing a role in the retail market chain for TV programme distribution.

Earlier this week, the Sofia District Administrative Court halted the preliminary execution of another deal, already approved by CPC, allowing the transfer of Bulsatcom's infrastructure assets to United Group, following complaints from Yettel Bulgaria, Cetin Bulgaria, A1 Bulgaria, and A1 Towers Bulgaria.