Regulator to investigate Friends Reunited sale

British commercial broadcaster ITV’s sale of its Friends Reunited website is to be investigated by regulators as a result of competition fears.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is concerned that DC Thomson, the company that agreed to pay £25m (€28m) for the site, will dominate the online genealogy market in the UK as the deal will also give it access to Friends’ spin off Genes Reunited.

“ITV is disappointed by this outcome, but will work closely with the Competition Commission and [DC Thomson subsidiary] Brightsolid to seek to resolve this process satisfactorily,” the company noted in a statement.