Advanced Television

Exane/BNPP

Paris Premiere for sale?

The proposed merger between French commercial broadcasters TF1 and M6, and the implications of the merger for investors RTL and Bouygues as well as the boards of TF1 and M6, have generated plenty of comment in the French press. It has been confirmed that as a result of the merger – not likely to close […]

May 21, 2021By Chris Forrester

Banks analyse TF1, M6 merger

French commercial networks TF1 and M6 are in exclusive merger negotiations. The intention is to create a French media group which offers TV and radio as well as digital choices and content production. If approved by the authorities, the proposal would create France’s largest broadcasting group. Analysts at investment bank Exane/BNPP note that the new […]

May 19, 2021

Bank: No surprises expected in Eutelsat Q3

Eutelsat will report Q3 results after the market closes on May 11th. Analysts are not expecting too many surprises and most of Eutelsat’s key revenue divisions will be in negative territory other than Fixed Broadband. Investment bank Exane/BNPP, in a note to clients, says they expect group revenues from Eutelsat’s operating verticals to decline by […]

May 10, 2021

Eutelsat extends Facebook sub-Saharan contract

Eutelsat has extended its partnership with Facebook to expand its WiFi connectivity access throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Facebook will use Eutelsat’s Konnect satellite and service to expand satellite broadband in rural and underserved communities. With Express Wi-Fi, Eutelsat aims to connect thousands of people in rural and underserved communities spanning Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, […]

May 7, 2021By Chris Forrester

Bank modifies Eutelsat outlook

This week Eutelsat confirmed it would invest $550 million in broadband constellation OneWeb in return for a 24 percent stake in OneWeb. Ratings agency Fitch has given a “BBB” rating for Eutelsat with a “Stable Outlook”. The ratings report comes as investment bank Exane/BNPP also slightly modified its view of the deal, saying: “This initial […]

April 30, 2021

Bank: “ESL bad news for broadcasters”

The world of football was thrown into turmoil by the announcement of a European Super League, and according to an investment bank report, could be “negative” for Europe’s broadcasters. The bank, Exane/BNPP, says the creation of the Super League – if it happens – could herald the sport’s biggest shakeup in decades and make elite […]

April 20, 2021

Eutelsat explains non-removal of China’s CGTN

Eutelsat has explained why it cannot itself remove China’s controversial news channel CGTN which has been criticised by many countries, including the UK’s Ofcom regulator. China Global Television Network (CGTN), on April 10th, welcomed the acknowledgement of Ofcom that CGTN’s right to broadcast in Europe falls under French jurisdiction, which perhaps paves the way for […]

April 13, 2021

Bank: “Starlink to become world’s largest satellite operator”

Investment bank Exane/BNPP, in a report on the state of the satellite industry, talks optimistically about the prospects for Elon Musk’s Starlink mega-constellation. Analyst Sami Kassab says that Starlink, and the constellations from OneWeb and Telesat (Lightspeed) will “change industry economics for good.” “For the last six decades, the economics of the satellite industry were […]

April 12, 2021By Chris Forrester

Bank favours SES over Eutelsat

Different investment analysts regularly come up with varied opinions as regards their favourite picks in the satellite industry. Now Sami Kassab, from investment bank Exane/BNPP, in a major report takes a deep examination into Europe’s two leading satellite operators. He concludes by favouring SES. His study extends to one of today’s hottest business prospects; SpaceX […]

April 12, 2021

France: New regulations could affect M6 sale

There is much speculation in the French press that changes in the country’s channel/media ownership regulations could affect the potential sale of free-to-air network M6. An article in Les Echos suggests that Bertelsmann’s CEO Thomas Rabe expects a decision to be taken during this current half-year regarding the disposal of M6. The decision is important […]

April 1, 2021By Chris Forrester