Hasbro’s $4BN Takeover Of Entertainment One To Be Investigated By UK Antitrust Body

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Hasbro’s $4BN deal to acquire film and TV studio Entertainment One is to be investigated by the UK’s antitrust body.

The Competition and Markets Authority said on Thursday that it would examine the takeover, which was announced in August, to establish whether it results in a “substantial lessening of competition” in the UK.

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The Competition and Markets Authority will begin its investigation on Friday and decide by 21 January, 2020, whether to escalate the work into a more detailed Phase 2 probe, involving a 24-week review.

The combination of the two companies blends eOne’s preschool brands like Peppa Pig and PJ Masks with Hasbro’s TV and film expertise, which has taken a leap over the past decade through franchises like Transformers.

The Competition and Markets Authority previously investigated the Sky sale process alongside UK media regulator Ofcom. This ultimately cleared the path for a bidding war between Comcast and Fox, with the former eventually agreeing a $39BN takeover.

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