{"id":11115,"date":"2026-02-13T13:34:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/?post_type=billboard_pro_post&p=1236179437"},"modified":"2026-02-13T13:34:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:34:30","slug":"umgs-775m-downtown-deal-secures-eu-approval-with-remedies-attached","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sarmiento24h.com\/?p=11115","title":{"rendered":"UMG\u2019s $775M Downtown Deal Secures EU Approval With Remedies\u00a0Attached"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Trending on Billboard <\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The European Commission has given its final stamp of approval for Universal Music Group\u2019s $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, concluding a two\u2011phase review that focused on competition and data\u2011access risks tied to Downtown\u2019s services business.<\/p>\n

The proverbial thumbs-up, announced early Friday (Feb. 13), follows remedies UMG submitted in December to address regulators\u2019 concerns over access to commercially sensitive information from rival labels via Downtown\u2019s Curve Royalty Systems, its accounting and rights\u2011management platform, as well as its broader artist and label services operations. <\/p>\n

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The European Commission said on Friday<\/a> that it approved the deal on the condition that UMG and Downtown fully divest Curve. Regulators found the merger, as initially notified, could have given UMG access to rivals\u2019 sensitive data stored on Curve. The remedy requires selling all of Curve (customers and their data, contracts, staff, platform\/source code\/algorithms and Curve\u2011only hardware). UMG will get only a limited, data\u2011free transitional license for restricted internal use. An independent trustee will oversee compliance, the EC will approve the buyer, and Curve will operate as a stand\u2011alone business until the sale closes.<\/p>\n

Beyond Curve, the EC concluded the merger does not significantly impede competition in recorded music, publishing and other services as there are \u201cseveral viable competitors\u201d with low switching costs, combined market shares are moderate, and that \u201cthe proposed transaction will not significantly shift the negotiation position of UMG in its licensing discussions with DSPs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBringing Downtown\u2019s exceptional team and capabilities to Virgin Music Group means greater flexibility and a sharper set of services for independent entrepreneurs, artists and labels,\u201d said Nat Pastor<\/strong> and JT Myers<\/strong>, Virgin Music Group co\u2011CEOs. \u201cBy uniting two culturally compatible companies with deeply complementary strengths, we\u2019re creating a more powerful, more open ecosystem\u2026 We appreciate the European Commission\u2019s thoughtful review and look forward to welcoming our new Downtown partners and colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pieter van Rijn<\/strong>, CEO of Downtown Music, added: \u201cBy joining forces with Virgin Music Group, we\u2019re helping build a more diverse, dynamic and opportunity\u2011rich environment\u2014one that amplifies independence and expands the cultural impact of the extraordinary partners we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trade association IMPALA, which represents Europe\u2019s independent sector, called the decision a landmark that underscores the EU\u2019s readiness to intervene in culture\u2011defining markets \u2014 while warning that allowing the market leader to grow larger \u201cfalls short.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe thank the European Commission for their determination\u2026 to securing structural concessions,\u201d said Helen Smith<\/strong>, IMPALA\u2019s executive chair. \u201cWith only 1% of mergers in 2025 going to Phase II and a conclusion arriving fourteen months after the deal was struck, the EC is sending a clear message about the risks of expansionist policies in music. At the same time, the final outcome falls short.\u201d<\/p>\n

UMG announced in December 2024 that Virgin Music Group would acquire Downtown to build a global, end\u2011to\u2011end services platform for independent artists, labels, and rights holders. The plan combines Downtown assets \u2014 historically including FUGA, CD Baby, Songtrust, and Curve \u2014 with Virgin\u2019s global distribution, marketing, BI, neighboring rights, sync, royalties and rights\u2011management capabilities. (Curve, per the remedy package, will be spun off.)<\/p>\n

The proposed deal sparked intense debate across the independent sector last year, with more than 200 executives warning that further consolidation risked narrowing choice and concentrating leverage. UMG and Virgin countered that the indie services market remains highly fragmented, and that even with Downtown they would trail The Orchard (Sony) and Believe (which owns TuneCore) in share. Virgin also dismissed data\u2011misuse fears as unfounded, saying the company already handles sensitive client information confidentially.<\/p>\n

This is a developing story\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trending on Billboard The European Commission has...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11116,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entretenimiento"],"yoast_head":"\nUMG\u2019s $775M Downtown Deal Secures EU Approval With Remedies\u00a0Attached - Sarmiento24h<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sarmiento24h.com\/?p=11115\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UMG\u2019s $775M Downtown Deal Secures EU Approval With Remedies\u00a0Attached - 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