In a long-expected deal Amazon acquired all of Lovefilm, the online video rental service for around £200 million (€237m). The move bolsters Amazon’s DVD business and puts it in a straight fight with Netflix as both progressively shift their business online. Lovefilm has 1.6 million subscribers, Amazon already held a 42 per cent stake acquired […]
As expected , American regulators cleared Comcast’s $13.8 billion takeover of NBC Universal. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 4-1 to approve Comcast’s purchase of 51 per cent of NBC. The takeover has fought off opposition from compeititors and concerns on plurality but not without accepting conditions including making NBC’s output available to rival cable […]
US reports say regulators will approve Comcast’s purchase of NBC Universal from General Electric and Vivendi imminently. The FCC has been working over final conditions for the deal since December, when chairman Julius Genachowski circulated a draft order for the approval to the FCC’s other four commissioners. Since then the commissioners have been hearing last-minute […]
The BBC’s Business Editor Robert Peston says the Ofcom report to Jeremy Hunt the Culture Secretary recommends News Corp’s proposed takeover of BSkyB should be referred to the Competition Commission. Ofcom handed its report into the Department of Culture of Media and Sport on December 30th and speculation has been widespread that it ‘plays safe’ […]
The private equity owners of ProSiebenSat.1 have sold €196 million of preference shares in the German television broadcaster, highlighting a sharp recovery at the company that had been considered a potential write-off during the economic crisis. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Permira, which bought a controlling stake in ProSieben four years ago in a deal valuing […]
NDS, provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, has signed an agreement pursuant to which funds managed by Vitruvian Partners will back a management buyout of OpenBet, an NDS subsidiary and provider of online gaming and betting technology and software solutions. Vitruvian and management will acquire OpenBet for a cash consideration of £208 million (€248m). […]
A merged Comcast and NBC would have to abide by tailored ‘net neutrality conditions’ for at least seven years, according to leaked details from the FCC’s proposed terms for approval of the deal. Regardless of what happens with national neutrality rules, the newco would be banned from blocking or throttling rival content as well as […]
It has emerged that senior executives of News Corp are seeking meetings with either ministers or civil servants responsible for clearing or blocking its attempt to take full control of BSkyB, which is seen as a likely indication that regulator Ofcom’s report to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt recommended a six-month investigation of the proposed bid. […]
A group comprising members of the House of Lords, academics, campaigners and trade unionists has written an open letter to the Financial Times urging Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, to refer News Corp’s bid to acquire the 61 per cent of BSkyB that it does not already own to the Competition Commission. The letter’s signatories […]
In a series of major interviews with UK newspapers January 10, Pace CEO Neil Gaydon has revealed that he talked last week at CES with more than 100 companies about providing additional non-TV services to consumers. Pace’s recent acquisition of US-based broadband technology company 2Wire for £308 million is opening up new opportunities for bolting […]