Fox Networks' U.K. Offices Raided by EC Competition Watchdog

• April 10 2018
• Anousha Sakoui

The London offices of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Networks were raided by investigators from the European Commission.

The London offices of Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Networks were raided by investigators from the European Commission, kicking off a wide-ranging probe of anti-competitive behavior related to sports rights.

The unannounced inspections were carried out in several European countries at companies active in sports, said the commission, which is concerned they may have breached competition rules, according to a statement Tuesday. Investigators are expected to stay through Wednesday and possibly Thursday at the West London offices of the Fox Networks Group, according to the Daily Telegraph, which first reported the raid. The company said it’s cooperating with the officials.

Such raids are a first step in investigating suspected anti-competitive practices and don’t signal guilt, the commission said.

The probe comes at a difficult time for 21st Century Fox Inc., the owner of Fox Networks, which has spent months trying to gain U.K. and European Union approval to purchase Sky Plc, the big European pay-TV service. The EU approved the acquisition last April, and U.K. regulators continue to assess it. In February, Comcast Corp. topped Murdoch’s offer for Sky with a $31 billion bid in February.

Last week, Fox offered to spin off the Sky News network as an independent company or sell it to Walt Disney Co. to address lawmakers’ concerns about having to much influence in British Media.

Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox has also agreed to sell most of its entertainment assets, including its stake in Sky Plc, to Disney in a $52.4 billion deal.