La Sexta asks competition regulator to look at Telecinco-Sogecable merger

Spanish broadcaster La Sexta has asked the country’s competition regulator to look into the planned entry of Telecinco and Telefónica into the ownership of pay-TV platform Digital Plus.

The move follows criticism of the planned merger of Telecinco and Digital Plus owner Sogecable by La Sexta CEO José Miguel Contreras, who said that the merged entity would have a 27% share of the total TV audience and an 80% share of the pay-TV market by revenue.

La Sexta called on the regulator to impose strict conditions on content rights acquisition by the group to ensure that other providers had the chance to compete over time.