You would think just making it to 86 years-old would make a man reasonably pleased. Add billions of dollars of wealth and being married to Jerry Hall and you’d think a grin would be in order. But Rupert Murdoch is all about the grimace just now. And he has some reason. The family empire he […]
US mobile telco T-Mobile US has completed the previously-announced acquisition of Denver-based television innovator Layer3 TV. The Layer3 TV team has joined T-Mobile and will drive the telco’s initiative to launch a disruptive new TV service in 2018. In December 2017, the self-styled ‘Un-carrier’ unveiled its plans to ‘Un-carrier your TV’, fuelled by the talent […]
UK competition watchdog the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) has published the provisional findings from its in-depth examination of the proposed acquisition of Sky Plc by 21st Century Fox, advising that Fox taking full control of Sky is not in the public interest because of media plurality concerns, but not because of a lack of a […]
The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) is a truly wonderful organisation. Its self-proclaimed role is to work to promote competition for the benefit of consumers. Its decision on January 23rd to “provisionally find that the Fox/Sky deal is not in the public interest” seems wholly contrary to that mission statement. With the world – and […]
A number of potential suitors are eyeing US entertainment studio Lionsgate, according to reports originating in Deadline. Lionsgate is the producer of blockbuster franchises including The Hunger Games series as well as hit TV series including Mad Men and Orange is the New Black. Lionsgate purchased premium channel Starz in 2016 for $4.4 billion, a […]
MTG has signed an agreement to sell its 75 per cent shareholding in TRACE to TPG Growth. The transaction values 100 per cent of the business at an enterprise value of €40 million and closing is subject to regulatory approvals. TRACE is part of MTG’s International Entertainment operations. Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, MTG President & CEO […]
A media investment consortium, which already owns AB Groupe and Apocalypse documentary producer CC&C, is set to extend its TV drama production activities with the acquisition of three more French companies. The Mediawan group formed by producer Pierre-Antoine Catton, Iliad Telecom founder Xavier Niel and Lazard France head Matthieu Pigasse, intends to acquire 80 per […]
India’s Dish TV pay-TV broadcaster is in the middle of acquiring rival broadcaster Videotron d2h. However, various businesses in the Videocon Group are cash-strapped and subject to insolvency proceedings. The merged businesses would have some 29 million subscribers. Dish TV has already notified India’s various regulatory bodies and the Bombay Stock Exchange that the transaction […]
January 12th sees Sky close its share register as far as the 10 pence special dividend is concerned for shareholders trading in Sky shares. This means that today (January 11th) is when Sky’s shares go ‘ex-dividend’ as far as shareholder pay-out is concerned for this past year’s trading. This has prompted equity analysts at investment bank […]
Swedish multiplay telco Tele2 and multiplay broadband operator Com Hem have agreed to merge, creating a leading integrated connectivity provider. The Merger will be implemented by Tele2 absorbing Com Hem. The pair say the combination of two highly complementary businesses will create a leading integrated operator by combining an award-winning mobile network with the fastest […]