UK Regulator Launches Investigation Into Viagogo, StubHub Merger

By Ian Walker

The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority said Wednesday that it has started an investigation into eBay Inc.'s completed sale of StubHub to Viagogo Entertainment Inc. to see whether the deal will lead to a competition issue.

The regulator--which in February served an initial enforcement order on the companies requiring Viagogo and StubHub to continue to operate independently for an unspecified amount of time--said it wants to see if the deal "may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the U.K. for goods or services."

It has until June 11 to make a decision.

StubHub and smaller rival Viagogo are already among the largest players in the growing secondary market for sports, music and live-entertainment tickets, in which brokers and fans resell tickets.

While StubHub and Viagogo are both big online ticket resellers, StubHub is mostly present in North America, whereas Viagogo is a significant competitor internationally--particularly in the U.K. and Europe.

eBay completed the sale of StubHub to Viagogo for $4.05 billion in cash on Feb. 13.

Write to Ian Walker at [e-mail]; @IanWalk40289749

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 15, 2020 08:42 ET (12:42 GMT)

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