Finance
EU clears Universal Music takeover of Downtown with conditions
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 13, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 13, 2026
Quick Summary
The EU has approved Universal Music's acquisition of Downtown Music with conditions, including the divestment of a royalty platform. The deal is valued at $775 million.
EU clears Universal Music takeover of Downtown with conditions
Universal Music's Acquisition Overview
BRUSSELS, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Friday it had approved with conditions Universal Music Group's acquisition of Downtown Music.
Conditions for Approval
UMG will have to divest Downtown's royalty accounting platform Curve for the $775 million (653.9 million euros) deal to go through, the Commission said in a statement, confirming a Reuters report from last month.
Reactions from UMG and Downtown
Virgin Music, the UMG's unit that is taking over Downtown, and Dowtown itself both welcomed the Commission's decision.
(1 euro = $1.1853)
(Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro and Yun Chee Foo; Editing by Inti Landauro)
Key Takeaways
- •EU approves Universal Music's acquisition of Downtown Music.
- •The deal is valued at $775 million (653.9 million euros).
- •UMG must divest Downtown's royalty accounting platform Curve.
- •Virgin Music, a UMG unit, will take over Downtown.
- •Both UMG and Downtown welcome the Commission's decision.
Frequently Asked Questions about EU clears Universal Music takeover of Downtown with conditions
1What is an acquisition?
An acquisition is a corporate action in which one company purchases most or all of another company's shares to gain control of that company.
2What is royalty accounting?
Royalty accounting refers to the process of tracking and managing payments made to rights holders for the use of their intellectual property, such as music or patents.
3What is the European Commission?
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, and upholding EU treaties.
