Ankara, 29 August 2025 — The Turkish Competition Authority has concluded its investigation into alleged abuse of dominance by cinema operator Mars Entertainment Group AŞ (MARS) and film distributor CJ ENM Medya Film Yapım ve Dağıtım AŞ (CJ ENM) with a binding commitments package.
The probe examined claims that MARS, Turkey’s largest cinema chain, gave preferential treatment to films distributed by its subsidiary CGV Mars Dağıtım by allocating a disproportionately large share of seats and screening slots.
Under the commitments made binding by a Board decision dated 14 August 2025 (no. 25-31/745-443):
- Seat allocation cap: In the first week of release, no more than 20% of total seats across MARS theatres may be reserved for films distributed by CGV Mars.
- Viewer-based continuation rules: Decisions on whether a film remains in theatres beyond its opening week must follow four objective performance criteria based on viewership numbers and occupancy rates. Any film meeting at least two of these criteria will continue to be shown at the relevant MARS locations, regardless of distributor.
- Equal treatment for third parties: MARS committed to ensuring the availability of films distributed by independent distributors and to implementing a programming structure that prioritises audience demand. The company also pledged to prevent any coordination between its programming teams and CGV Mars.
- Structural separation: CJ ENM committed to maintaining a clear separation from MARS, limiting their relationship to the same level as with other third-party distributors.
The Authority concluded that these measures adequately address the competition concerns and accepted them as binding on both MARS and CJ ENM.
