EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Competition

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 13/03/2020

In electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32020M9750

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 13.03.2020 C(2020) 1748 final

PUBLIC VERSION

To the notifying party

Dear Sir or Madam,

1.1. On 14 February 2020, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which H.I.G. Europe Capital Partners II, L.P. (Cayman Islands), belonging to the H.I.G. Capital group of funds (“H.I.G. Capital”, United States of America), acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment SAS (“LSE”, France) and Lagardère Sports, Inc. (“LS”, United States of America) together with their direct and indirect subsidiaries (but excluding certain subsidiaries), together (“Lagardère Sports”), by of purchase of shares.

2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

- for H.I.G. Capital: private equity investment firm,

- for Lagardère Sports: a global sports agency offering specialised services (rights distribution, host broadcasting, media and programme production, event operations, brand development, marketing and sponsorship) and holding a portfolio of sports media and marketing rights. Lagardère Sports has a specific focus on football.

1 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’). With effect from 1 December 2009, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’) has introduced certain changes, such as the replacement of ‘Community’ by ‘Union’ and ‘common market’ by ‘internal market’. The terminology of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision.

2 OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3 (the ‘EEA Agreement’).

3 Excluding Lagardère Live Entertainment SAS, Saddlebrook International Sports LLC, World Sport Group (Mauritius) Ltd., World Sport Group (India) Ltd. and Lagardère Paris Racing Ressources SA SP.

4 Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 62, 25.02.2020, p. 8.

Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel, BELGIË

Tel: +32 229-91111. Fax: +32 229-64301. E-mail: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu.

3.3. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger Regulation and of paragraph 5(c) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.

4.4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation and Article 57 of the EEA Agreement.

For the Commission

(Signed) Olivier GUERSENT Director-General

5 OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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