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BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - EU regulators on Wednesday approved French mobile phone operator SFR to buy Tele2 AB's French fixed-line telephone and broadband unit, after SFR and its parent Vivendi promised to stay away from exclusive Internet broadcast rights to blockbuster films and to offer content to rivals.
SFR is jointly controlled by French media conglomerate Vivendi SA and British telecom company Vodafone PLC. Vivendi also owns the leading French pay-TV network Canal Plus and has a small stake in Hollywood's Universal Studios.
The European Commission initially said Vivendi's control over "attractive" film and TV content led it to believe the deal would cause problems by combining two direct rivals for Internet services and businesses involved in the same supply chain for broadcast rights.
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