Canada: Competition Bureau files court applications to block Rogers-Shaw Merger

On 9 May 2022, the Canadian Competition Bureau filed to block the proposed $26 billion acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc. by Rogers Communications Inc. The Competition Bureau is requesting an injunction to prevent the parties from completing the transaction until the Bureau's application can be heard. According to the Competition Bureau, the proposed merger poses a threat to the progress it has achieved in introducing more competition into the concentrated market for wireless services, where the three largest players, Rogers, Bell, and Telus (known as the Big 3), currently serve approximately 87% of Canadian subscribers. The Bureau alleges that the removal of Shaw as a competitor could undermine these efforts.