Advanced Television

M&A

Cisco pays $3.7bn for AppDynamics

Cisco Systems has agreed to buy US business software company AppDynamics Inc for about $3.7 billion (€3.4bn), making one of its largest deals of recent years. Rob Salvagno, Cisco’s vice president of corporate development, said that the acquisition fits Cisco’s long-term direction and its transition toward software. AppDynamics makes software that manages and analyses apps […]

January 25, 2017

Liberty completes on F1, Ecclestone out

Following the receipt of the necessary regulatory clearances and the approval of its shareholders, Liberty Media has completed its acquisition of Formula 1. F1 has appointed Chase Carey as Chief Executive Officer of F1, in addition to his existing role as Chairman, and Bernie Ecclestone as Chairman Emeritus of F1. Ecclestone, who has given valuable […]

January 24, 2017By Colin Mann

Sky invests in UK prodcos

Pan-European broadcaster Sky has continued the growth of its international production and distribution business with the acquisition of a majority stake in one of the UK’s leading independent production companies, True North, and an investment in UK-based television drama production company from Chris Wright and Mick Pilsworth, Chrysalis Vision. Over the last three years, Sky […]

January 23, 2017

Vivendi denies TIM stake sale

Vivendi has denied reports that it is willing to sell its 24 per cent stake in Telecom Italia (TIM) to facilitate its plan to form a European media conglomerate that would include Italy’s Mediaset. Selling TIM, valued at just over €3 billion, would ease Italian regulators’ concerns over the French media company’s influence in the […]

January 20, 2017

Sony’s $385m plan to buy Taj TV approved

Sony Pictures Networks India’s proposal to invest in ZEEL-owned Taj Television, has been approved by India’s Competition Commission. Taj TV’s ‘Ten Sports’ portfolio of sports channels is the prize that Sony is after. The scheme sees ZEEL and Sony creating Aqua Holdings, established in August 2016, to carry out the investment whereby Sony India’s Competition […]

January 20, 2017By Chris Forrester

Chinese end talks of Spacecom purchase

Talks between China’s Beijing Xinwei Technology Group and Spacecom of Israel have broken down. Some five months of dialogue, and not helped by the September 1st loss of the AMOS-6 satellite, have scuppered the prospects of a sale by Spacecom. Spacecom, which operates the Amos fleet of satellites, simply says that the talks ended without […]

January 19, 2017By Chris Forrester

FIA approval for F1 sale

The World Motor Sport Council has unanimously approved the change of control of Delta Topco Limited (the holding company of the Formula One Group and thus the owner of the Commercial Rights of the FIA Formula One World Championship) from CVC Capital Partners in favour of Liberty Media Corporation at an extraordinary meeting in Geneva. […]

January 19, 2017By Colin Mann

Liberty Media shareholders greenlight F1 deal

Liberty Media Corporation has confirmed that a special meeting of stockholders approved (i) a proposal relating to the issuance of shares of Series C Liberty Media common stock in connection with its pending acquisition of Formula 1 and (ii) a proposal relating to the adoption of the amendment and restatement of Liberty Media’s restated certificate […]

January 18, 2017By Colin Mann

Fox move on Sky “could take time”

There were reports in the British press this past weekend which suggested that 21st Century Fox and Sky’s lobbyists were briefing UK parliamentary members on their plans for the acquisition by Fox of the rest of Sky (61 per cent) it does not already own. Importantly, the briefings are stressing that the future of Sky […]

January 17, 2017

Viaccess-Orca acquires BigHill

In a move that strengthens its mobile video portfolio and positions it to address the rise in mobile video consumption, content services protection and enhancement specialist Viaccess-Orca has acquired BigHill, a Finland-based software company that specialises in developing mobile apps for TV content. An agreement between the two companies was reached in December 2016. Adding […]

January 17, 2017