Liberty Global faces opposition to German merger

German alternative telecom operator association the VATM has added its voice to that of pay TV provider Sky Deutschland in expressing strong reservations about the proposed merger of Liberty Global-owned cable operator Unitymedia with Baden-Württemberg operator Kabel BW.

The VATM is calling for open access to the network of the combined operator as a condition of any merger, according to local reports.

Last week Sky pointed to the threat posed by the merger to its distribution deal with Kabel BW. Until now, Unitymedia has failed to come to an agreement to retransmit Sky’s channels, with the exception of its Sky Sports HD 1 service.
The German Federal Cartel Office is expected to rule on whether the merger can go ahead after the end of its review on December 15.