In a deal that creates the US’s second largest domestic communications provider serving global enterprise customers, telcos CenturyLink and Level 3 Communications have agreed a merger under which CenturyLink will acquire Level 3 in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $34 billion (€31.1bn), including the assumption of debt. Under terms of the agreement, […]
New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has sent a Letter of Unresolved Issues to Vodafone and Sky television in relation to their proposed merger announced in June 2016. The letter outlines that on the basis of information gathered to date, the Commission is currently not satisfied that the proposed merger will not have, or would not be […]
The number-crunchers have spoken. A series of bank notes to investing clients following on from the ‘Big Three’ (SES, Intelsat and Eutelsat) and their latest suite of results issued on October 27 and 28th. However, the comments are extremely mixed. For example, equity analysts were unanimous that last year’s reduction in US governmental and military […]
In a consolidation of the semiconductor sector, as heavily rumoured, NXP Semiconductor has agreed to be acquired by Qualcomm. According to the pair, this will create the industry powerhouse to focus on Secure Connections for a Smarter World. Qualcomm is offering $110 (€100.7) per share in cash, a premium of 11.5 per cent to NXP’s […]
To accelerate its OTT video efforts and roll out of enhanced content discovery and innovative features, US telco Verizon is to acquire the technology and software that underlies Vessel’s online video subscription service, which provides early access to videos from online video stars, and to hire most of Vessel’s employees. The deal will see Vessel […]
While Wall Street and the financial newspapers start digesting the news that AT&T has struck a merger deal with Time Warner (TW), the debate inevitably moves onto ‘who’s next?’ Research house Ovum says that the implications for anyone in the content and delivery business are “fundamental”, and just about everyone on either side of the […]
Barely two days after reports emerged that such a deal was likely, giant US telco AT&T and Time Warner have entered into a definitive agreement under which AT&T will acquire Time Warner in a stock-and-cash transaction valued at $107.50 per share, valuing the deal at $85.4 billion (€78.5bn). The agreement has been approved unanimously by […]
Consensus among US commentators is that the $85 billion+ tie-up will face a tough regulatory battle with corporate opponents and consumer groups complaining the new group will wield too much market power. The deal will be the first and big test of the next president’s antitrust policy. Donald Trump he would block the deal if […]
The mega-media- merger to end all mega… etc. That is until the next one comes along. Except – if it goes ahead – this really might be the last of this kind of deal. This takeover will be sold hard as a ‘traditional’ vertical integration play – a content owner and a pipes owner come […]
Bloomberg is reporting that media giant Time Warner (TW) is in merger talks with telco AT&T. The telco last year bought pay-TV broadcaster DirecTV, paying $49 billion for the business. The reports say that the discussions are “informal” but Bloomberg says that TW CEO Jeff Bewkes is interested in a sale at the right price. […]