Media mergers almost tripled last year – CCPC
A note from McCann FitzGerald outlines Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) activity for 2025 and sets out significant regulatory changes expected in 2026.
The note points out that there were 90 transactions notified to the CCPC in 2025 – up from 82 in 2024 and 68 in 2023 – marking a continued upward trajectory.
Workload
The increased workload of the CCPC is among the reasons it has called for higher financial thresholds for mandatory merger notification in Ireland.
The CCPC says that his move would enable it to focus resources on transactions that are more likely to raise competition issues.
While initial review numbers remained stable, complex deals timelines grew significantly longer, increasing by 35% compared with 2024.
The CCPC showed a preference for conditional clearances, the lawyers point out.
Notably, the CCPC accepted structural divestment remedies early in the KAES/Bord na Móna case.
Two transactions were notified after completion.
The CCPC cleared them but issued public warnings, reiterating that deals completed without notification were legally void.
Jump in notifications
MF points to a media-merger spike: notifications jumped from three in 2024 to eight in 2025.
Over half were handled under the CCPC ‘simplified procedure’.
Although the CCPC has had the power to review below-threshold deals since 2023, it has yet to officially ‘call in’ a transaction.
However, it has begun issuing requests for information (RFIs) to monitor such deals.
A public consultation is expected in 2026 to raise the current financial thresholds (€60 million combined / €10 million individual Irish turnover), potentially exempting more small-to-mid-sized deals from mandatory review.
The CCPC plans to circulate a draft of its revised merger guidelines following a 2024 consultation.
The proposed Media Regulation Bill (implementing the European Media Freedom Act) will bring drastic changes, McCann FitzGerald points out.
The latter EU regulation came into force on 8 August 2025.
Responsibility for plurality assessments moves from the Minister for Culture to Coimisiún na Meán.
The definition of media business will expand to include online platforms.
Coimisiún na Meán will gain ‘call-in’ powers for non-media deals that impact editorial independence and will introduce a specific ‘gun-jumping’ offence.
The CCPC will launch an ex-post review of remedies in 2026.
Companies currently operating under previous commitments should prepare for compliance audits to ensure those remedies are effective.
The note was prepared by McCann FitzGerald competition partners Laura Treacy and Liam Heylin, of counsel Liam Ryan, and associate Andrea Higgins.