Advanced Television

M&A

Kinnevik’s Tele2 stake acquired by Freya

Freya Investissement, a special investment vehicle jointly owned by iliad and NJJ Holding, has entered into a binding agreement to acquire approximately 19.8 per cent of the share capital of Tele2 from Kinnevik, an investment company focused on digital consumer businesses. Consideration for the transaction will be paid in cash and totals approximately SEK 13 […]

February 26, 2024

Canal+ ups Viu stake

Canal+ Group has increased its stake in Viu, the Asian OTT platform, to 30 per cent, in accordance with the terms of the transaction announced on June 21st 2023. For the French media group, owned by Vivendi, this increase marks a further step in its plan to make Asia its next growth driver, through its […]

February 26, 2024

Bezos eyes ULA

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is said to be the frontrunner to buy United Launch Alliance (ULA), the joint-venture giant rocket business backed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. ULA wanted up to $4 billion (€3.7bn) for its assets, but reports suggest that the final price might be much nearer $2-2.5 billion. CNBC says that signed agreements […]

February 23, 2024By Chris Forrester

EC clears Orange, MásMóvil merger

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed creation of a joint venture by Orange and MásMóvil. The approval is conditional upon full compliance with a commitments package offered by Orange and MásMóvil. The decision follows a prolonged investigation of the proposed transaction. The EC explained that “Orange is a full […]

February 21, 2024

BT Tower sold to MCR Hotels

BT Group has agreed to the sale of the BT Tower for £275 million (€321.2m) to MCR Hotels, which plans to preserve the Tower as an iconic hotel. As the UK heads into an all-digital future, a number of network operations that were traditionally provided from BT Tower are now delivered via BT Group’s fixed […]

February 21, 2024

Zee refutes Sony merger revival

The past few days have seen just about every Indian business newspaper reporting that Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) was back in discussions with Sony’s India business about resurrecting their merger plan, valued at some $10 billion. Not so, saccording to ZEEL. India’s Economic Times reports that executives from both parties had meetings in Mumbai and […]

February 21, 2024By Chris Forrester

Levira acquires AA-SAT

Levira has acquired satellite communication provider AA-SAT, which it says marks a significant step to strengthen its expertise and offerings in satellite communications. “Amid the fast-paced advancements in satellite communications, this technology has become crucial for ensuring reliable critical communications and backup connectivity for IT infrastructures. Levira’s strategic move into the satellite communications domain, complementing […]

February 21, 2024

Walmart acquires VIZIO for $2.3bn

US supermarket giant Walmart has agreed a deal to acquire smart TV company VIZIO in a deal worth $2.3 billion (€2.13bn). Walmart said the acquisition of VIZIO and its SmartCast Operating System (OS) would enable it “to connect with and serve its customers in new ways including innovative television and in-home entertainment and media experiences. […]

February 20, 2024

Fremantle to acquire Asacha Media Group

Fremantle has entered into a conditional purchase agreement to acquire production studio Asacha Media Group and its portfolio of labels based in France, Italy and the UK. The deal sees Fremantle acquire the Group from Asacha’s founding partners, managers and funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management Asacha is made up of eight labels across scripted, […]

February 20, 2024

Peacock, Paramount eye streaming tie-up

Comcast, owner of Peacock, is reportedly looking to merge its SVoD service with Paramount+. Comcast and Paramount have already held talks about a potential streaming partnership that could see Paramount+ and Peacock being offered to subscribers together as a package deal, according to The WSJ. Along with making access to the two platforms cheaper than […]

February 19, 2024