EU Commission approves JD Sports takeover of Sports Zone

By

Elena Campos Valladares

Translated by
Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jan 19, 2018

The  European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sportswear retailer Sports Zone, owned by Portugal’s Sonae group, by JD Sprinter Holdings 2010 of Spain, part of the UK’s JD Sports.

The transaction will bring together two of the largest players in sports clothing and shoes the category in Spain and Portugal, merging Sport Zone with JD Sport’s JD, Sprinter, Size and Athlete's Foot fascias.

The sale, now officially approved, was announced in March last year. The plan to merge Sonae and JD Sport’s sportswear businesses in Spain and Portugal will result in combined revenues of around 450 million euros ($550m, £397m), according JD Sports.