• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

EU Set to Greenlight Google’s Fitbit Acquisition After Concessions

  • Google announced it planned to acquire Fitbit in November 2019.
  • Its concessions include that it won’t utilize user data for advertising.
person_looking_at_smart_watch
Fitbit

Google is poised to advance in its attempt to acquire personal fitness tracker maker Fitbit after obtaining antitrust approval from the European Commission, Reuters reported Sept. 29.

The search engine giant first announced its intent to go through with a $2.1 billion, all-cash deal to set itself up to rival Apple and Samsung in the wearable fitness market in November 2019. 

As part of its concessions, Google would restrict the use of Fitbit data for its ads and would also “tighten the monitoring of that process,” according to Reuters.

Google said it is additionally “formalizing [its] longstanding commitment to supporting other wearable manufacturers on Android and to continue to allow Fitbit users to connect to third-party services via APIs (application programming interfaces) if they want to.”

The third parties could then have access to users’ data with their consent. 

“This deal is about devices, not data. The wearables space is highly crowded, and we believe the combination of Google and Fitbit’s hardware efforts will increase competition in the sector, benefiting consumers and making the next generation of devices better and more affordable,” Google said in a statement.

EU investigators will now ask consumers and rival companies about Google’s planned concessions before deciding if they are sufficient, and have to decide either way by Dec. 23.

In the U.S., Google is still facing inquiries from the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice about the deal, as well as a larger antitrust case.

According to market research firm International Data Corp, Fitbit had a 3% share of the global wearables market as of the first quarter of 2020, and Apple had a 29.3% share, while Xiaomi, Samsung and Huawei all had over 10% each. With production primarily based in China, Fitbit’s share declined by 2.2% year-over-year during Q1 as the COVID-19 pandemic hindered the supply chain.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Nov 9, 2024; Avondale, Arizona, USA; 23XI Racing team owner Michael Jordan during qualifying for the Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway.

Jordan Can’t Bar Charter Sales Because NASCAR Agreed Not to Sell Charters

The contentious antitrust suit is slated to go to trial this December.

FCC Chair Joins Fox–YouTube TV Fight With Big Game on the Line

The Trump appointee is now involved in another media carriage fight.

Annual Football Season Tradition: A High-Stakes Media Blackout Fight

The ongoing Fox–YouTube TV dispute marks an annual media tradition.

MLB Nears Media Shake-Up: ESPN, NBC, Netflix In, Apple Out?

Sources told FOS that local rights are of particular interest to ESPN.

Featured Today

Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
September 7, 2025

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Tennis
September 5, 2025

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
Sponsored

‘Run With the Competition’: Ultra Trail Runner Lotti Brinks Is Back With..

Ultrarunner Lotti Brinks is ready to make her first Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix podium in her HOKA Mafate 5s.
Sponsored

Top Esports Athletes Will Compete for National Glory in the Esports Nations..

The new biennial event, starting in 2026, kicks off a monumental next era for esports.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Sponsored

Win. Advance. Repeat: The Professional Fighters League’s Rise to Prominence 

As of 2025, PFL has introduced a World Tournament format, where every fighter must battle through a high-stakes bracket to reach a championship.
The 2018 Ragin' Crossfit Games are held at Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette.
March 14, 2025

CrossFit for Sale After Years of Drama and Attrition

The intense fitness workout got popular in the early 2000s.
Sponsored

How On Location is Redefining the Olympic Winter Games Hospitality Experience

As the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 approaches, On Location—the Official Hospitality Provider—is redefining luxury hospitality.
Sponsored

How On Location is Redefining the Olympic Winter Games Hospitality Experience

As the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 approaches, On Location—the Official Hospitality Provider—is redefining luxury hospitality.