Advanced Television

Funding

UK govt confirms £5bn broadband boost

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has confirmed the Conservative administration’s commitment to support the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband in the most difficult to reach 20 per cent of the country. Presenting his 2020 Budget, Sunak said the government was committing £5 billion to support the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband so that all areas […]

March 11, 2020By Colin Mann

Musk raises $500m for SpaceX

Elon Musk has raised $500.06 million (€441m) in fresh funding at a share price of an extremely buoyant $220 per share. This is double what SpaceX was looking to raise, and means that his rocket company is now worth around $36 billion (and an improvement on last year’s $33 billion valuation). It is again proof […]

March 11, 2020By Chris Forrester

THEO Technologies secures $10m Series A funding

THEO Technologies has raised $10 million (€8.8m) in a Series A funding round led by SmartFin Capital, with participation from PMV and Media Invest Vlaanderen (MIV). Founded in Leuven in 2012, THEO Technologies’ mission is to 2facilitate the perfect video experience on any platform or device, at any time and everywhere”. “The online video industry […]

March 11, 2020

CityFibre ramps up full fibre rollout

CityFibre, the UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform, has revealed 36 additional locations to benefit from full fibre as part of its up to £4 billion (€4.6bn) Gigabit City Investment Programme, targeting up to 8 million premises. In parallel, CityFibre has also accelerated the mobilisation of its network build capabilities, with a process underway to […]

March 6, 2020By Colin Mann

Dowden blasts BBC ‘narrow urban outlook’

UK Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Secretary of State Oliver Dowden has suggested the BBC needs to be closer to, and understand the perspectives of, the whole of the UK and avoid providing a narrow urban outlook. Delivering a keynote speech at the Enders Media and Telecoms Conference setting out why the UK’s creative and […]

March 5, 2020By Colin Mann

Quibi raises $750m second round

Quibi, the soon-to-launch subscription service for short-form content on mobiles, founded by Jeff Katzenberg and Meg Whitman, has raised $750 million (€671m) in second round funding. Quibi’s, short for “Quick Bites”, initially raised $1 billion from Hollywood studios and others. The company said the second round included investments from existing investors and new ones. “We […]

March 5, 2020

MPs to question BBC executives

BBC Director-General Lord Hall and Chairman Sir David Clementi are to give evidence to the first hearing of the new Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which monitors the policy, administration and expenditure of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and its associated bodies, including the BBC, on behalf of the House of […]

March 4, 2020By Colin Mann

Minute Media raises another $40m

Minute Media, a global technology and digital publishing platform, has raised $40 million (€36.4m) in venture capital, bringing its total funding to $160 million. This latest round of funding was led by Dawn Capital with participation from existing investors. The new funds will be used to support global expansion and enhancements to its tech publishing […]

February 28, 2020

SABC to get final cash boost

South Africa’s public broadcaster SABC is to receive a Rand 1.1 billion (about €65 million) bailout in March. This is the second portion of a promised Rand 3.2 billion commitment provided that SABC made certain cuts and improvements. The conditions included reviewing its broadcasting policies to respond to advances in technology, costing the developmental mandate, […]

February 28, 2020By Chris Forrester

Plume secures $85m in financing

Smart home services pioneer Plume has closed a new financing round of $85 million (€78.2m). This includes $60 million in Series D preferred equity and $25 million in debt financing, bringing Plume’s total funding to $127 million. The new investor syndicate, including Charter Communications, Qualcomm, Belkin, and Service Electric Cablevision, took approximately 75 per cent […]

February 26, 2020