Advanced Television

M&A

Ericsson offloads 51% Media Solutions to One Equity

Ericsson has concluded its major review of its broadcast and media solutions businesses. Having separated broadcast into Red Bee Media – which remains an Ericsson company – it is offloading 51 per cent of Media Solutions to One Equity with all assets and employees moving across to a new entity. In the review, Ericsson said […]

January 31, 2018

Amdocs acquires Vubiquity for $224m

In a move that sees it further expand into the media and entertainment business, communications and media software and services provider Amdocs has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Vubiquity, a leading provider of premium content services and technology solutions, subject to customary closing conditions. The two companies say they are excited about the […]

January 31, 2018

Flashtalking and Spongecell merge

Flashtalking, the global independent platform for ad management, data activation and unified insights, and top personalised creative company Spongecell, have announced a merger of the two companies, creating a specialist in data driven dynamic creative. Coming together under the Flashtalking brand, the combined company will provide brands and agencies with the knowledge, technology and scale […]

January 31, 2018

Atlantia bid for Abertis/Hispasat can proceed

The Spanish government has approved a takeover bid of local infrastructure company Abertis, which controls Madrid-based satellite operator Hispasat. One bidder is Italian motorway operator Atlantia, although others are also interested in the Abertis assets. It is not yet clear as to whether there will be Spanish conditions attached to any final bid because of […]

January 29, 2018By Chris Forrester

Silknet acquires Geocell

Georgian multiplay telco Silknet has acquired Geocell, the second-largest mobile telecommunications operator in the Republic of Georgia from Geocell’s shareholders, Telia Company and Turkcell in a $153 million (€123m) transaction which combines Silknet’s broadband, pay-TV and fixed telephony operations with Geocell’s mobile operations, creating a major convergent telecoms company. The acquisition will be financed through […]

January 29, 2018

Darroch: ‘Sky News no longer vital’

Jeremy Darroch, CEO of Sky, has cast further doubt on the future of Sky News, saying the service is no longer vital to the platform. The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) earlier this week provisionally ruled against the Fox takeover of Sky on the grounds of (news) media plurality. Darroch told analysts on a results […]

January 25, 2018

Rupert’s reasons to be grumpy

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 […]

January 24, 2018

T-Mobile closes Layer3 TV acquisition

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 […]

January 24, 2018

Fox/Sky deal ‘not in the public interest’

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 […]

January 23, 2018By Colin Mann

Sky and Fox: You have to laugh at CMA!

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 […]

January 23, 2018