Acquisition of V by Bell
The CRTC and the Competition Bureau must say no to the deal and prevent the creation of a crushing coast-to-coast monopoly.
TV channels
local TV stations
radio stations
advertising faces
websites
apps
billion market cap
billion total revenues across Canada
television reach in Canada
Source: Bell Media
Bell’s television channels raked in more than $2 billion in 2018, 6 times TVA’s revenues, and reached 80% of Canadians. Bell is dominant in Québec and across Canada. No other industry player comes close. If Bell were to swallow up V, this would only increase the risk that it will abuse its dominance to wipe out all competition, with dismal consequences for Québec’s French-language market.
Bell appears to confuse popularity with dominance. High ratings mean a network is popular with television audiences. But market dominance is what Bell has: no other company in Canada, or in the world for that matter, has so much control over media properties, advertising sales and subscription fees. The CRTC must therefore analyze this transaction from every angle.
CRTC 2018 – Aggregate Annual Return (Financial return). Individual Discretionary and On-Demand Services – Statistical and financial Summaries ( The Quebecor data excludes Zeste and Évasion in 2018)
With V, Bell would control 43% of total advertising revenues in Canada and more than 48% of the advertising revenues of private conventional broadcasters. Such unparalleled dominance is unsustainable in Canada’s already fragile advertising market.
CRTC 2018, Aggregate Annual Return (Financial Returns) – Conventional Television and Individual Discretionary and On-Demand Services – Statistical and Financial Summaries. *Local advertising included in Bell’s English specialty Channels.
The acquisition of V would bring Bell one step closer to regaining a monopoly position, triggering a domino effect that would have serious consequences for the rest of the industry:
At the end of the day, the consumer will pay the price.
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− Excerpt from “CRTC denies BCE’s bid to acquire Astral – Transaction not in the interest of Canadians and Canada’s broadcasting system,” press release, October 18, 2012.
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