The EU on Friday cleared US cable giant Comcast's bid for pan-European TV group Sky, paving the way for an epic multi-billion-dollar takeover tussle with Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox. Brussels said it had "no competition concerns" over Comcast's £22-billion ($29.4-billion, 25.1-billion-euro) bid for all of Sky, which is best known for its live coverage of English Premier League football.
"The European Commission has approved unconditionally under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Sky by Comcast, a US based global media, technology and entertainment company," the EU's executive arm said in a statement. "The Commission concluded the transaction would raise no competition concerns in Europe."
Comcast owns Hollywood film studio Universal Pictures and operates several TV channels including CNBC.