Televisa receives authorization from the IFT to unite Izzi and Sky

The acquisition of the part of Sky was approved on May 29 in a plenary session of the IFT, but without an issuance of regulatory measures, because the issue has been handled as a ‘concentration of assets’ and not as a merger. revealed a source close to the process who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“This movement does not need additional (regulatory) measures, because it is only a concentration. Later, the Institute will have to carry out a study to know the effects that may be generated by this movement,” the source explained to this medium.

However, Jorge Moreno Loza, a lawyer specialized in telecommunications and leader of the Expanzione firm, assures that although the approval was handled as a ‘concentration of assets’, the regulator is obliged to generate mechanisms that prevent competition problems in the television market. pays, a sector that is already experiencing problems due to the arrival of streaming platforms.

“I think the authorization was done ‘fastrack’. “It can be interpreted (the IFT’s decision) as a way to artificially help balance the sector due to the imminent threat of streaming, but it must be aware that it approved a movement by a Group that already had preponderance,” the specialist considered.

The union of Izzi and Sky assets will also allow Televisa to improve its profitability levels, since for two years its subsidiaries have been dealing with operating and income losses, directly impacting the Group’s operation. To expedite the objective, even prior to the authorization of the Institute, the company began to outline changes in the structures of both subsidiaries. A source who still works at Izzi assured Expansión that the company has begun to liquidate all the staff of a Customer Service Center, due to a reduced need for workforce due to the union of the assets of Sky and Izzi.

“It’s something we already expected and on the one hand you feel calmer because the company’s service is already very bad and that generated more stress,” said the source.

What will happen to the users?

The union of both companies, so far, is not expected to produce changes, since the provision of services will continue as at present, so users will not be affected, detailed the source that is related to the internal changes of the companies. . This means that for end users, the arrival of this type of packages will not be immediate.

Moreno Loza considered that the union of Izzi and Sky should not affect users, since the purpose is for the company to generate better offers for the public such as packaging for a lower price, a business vertical that has become essential for companies. companies in the fixed segment. However, he said that we will still have to wait for the company’s decision on this issue.

“What Televisa should start doing is commenting to its clients on the issue of the merger of its assets so as not to generate uncertainty,” said the specialist.

Televisa expects to have the structural integration of both companies towards the second quarter of this year, allowing operational savings of up to 400 million pesos towards the second half, the company revealed in a conference with analysts.