Finance
EU resumes scrutiny of Universal's Downtown deal, sets February 6 deadline
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 28, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 28, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
EU antitrust regulators resume their investigation into Universal's $775M Downtown Music acquisition, with a February 6 decision deadline. Concerns over competition persist.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -EU antitrust regulators have resumed their investigation into Universal Music Group unit Virgin Music Group's $775-million bid for Downtown Music with a new deadline of February 6 for their decision, according to an update on the European Commission website.
The EU competition watchdog, which halted its scrutiny on September 2 while waiting for the companies to provide requested information, restarted the process on October 17.
It has said the deal may hamper competition and remove an important player, echoing concerns from independent labels which want the acquisition to be blocked.
(Reporting by Foo Yun CheeEditing by Tomasz Janowski)
Antitrust regulation refers to laws and policies designed to promote competition and prevent monopolistic practices in the market, ensuring fair competition among businesses.
A bid in finance is an offer made by an investor to purchase a security or asset at a specified price. It reflects the maximum price the buyer is willing to pay.
Independent labels are music companies that operate without the funding or support of major record labels. They often focus on niche markets and artist development.
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, enforcing EU laws, and managing the day-to-day operations of the EU.
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