Vodafone is said to be considering a bid for Kabel Deutschland, Germany’s largest cable operator. The UK MNO will table a proposal before the end of the week according to unnamed sources in the FT. Shares in Kabel Deutschland rose 12 per cent to €71.40 in Frankfurt, valuing the company at more than €5.6 billion. Vodafone […]
In a move not anticipated for several months, Comcast Corporation is to acquire industrial conglomerate GE’s entire 49 per cent common equity stake in the NBCUniversal joint venture for approximately $16.7 billion. NBCUniversal will also purchase from GE the properties used by NBCUniversal at 30 Rockefeller Plaza and CNBC’s headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, NJ for […]
London based broadcast specialist Vision247 has acquired Fora, a Slovenian IPTV software solutions company in a deal valued at more than €2 million. The acquisition expands Vision247’s leading role as a provider of over the top (OTT) internet delivered television services to incorporate triple and quad play models for large telecom operators globally. Vision247 says […]
Rightster has acquired Preview Networks, a European distributor of movie trailers, allowing Rightster to roll out YouTube services out across Europe and to establish itself as having one of the largest YouTube Multi Channel Network footprints in the world. Preview Networks will add more than 300 rights holders and 2,500 publishers including Disney, MTV and […]
HellasSat, part of Greece’s OTE telecoms company, is being bought by Saudi Arabia-based Arabsat. The Arab satellite company is paying $157 million for HellasSat plus a payment of $53.4 million for the cash reserves held by HellasSat. The total of $208 million will give Arabsat 99.05 per cent of the Greek business. The remaining 0.95 […]
Mediaset-owned TV channel Tele 5 will have to pay a €15.6 million fine imposed by the competition watchdog CNC for a serious violation of the conditions imposed in 2010 over its merger with Cuatro. The CNC has determined that Mediaset did not comply with the obligation of separating the two advertising companies Publiespaña and Publimedia […]
James Murdoch, Deputy COO, speaking at News Corp’s results, said he thought the Liberty – Virgin deal would ‘do little to change the competitive landscape.’ Chare Carey, COO, said News Corp would ‘stay the course’ with BSkyB, but admitted the question of its long term future still exercised News management: “Over time, we need to […]
Spain’s Telefonica is reportedly holding negotiations with Prisa and Liberty to acquire the majority of stakes in digital DTH platform Canal Plus, in which it already owns 21 per cent bought in 2009 for €470 million. Prisa’s financial difficulties are plaguing the company. With a debt of over €3.1 billion, it is selling its media […]
Less than 24 hours after reports emerged that the pair were in discussion over a proposed sale, Liberty Global and Virgin Media have entered into an agreement, subject to shareholder approvals, which will see Liberty Global will acquire Virgin Media in a stock and cash merger valued at approximately $23.3 billion. Under the terms of […]
Virgin Media boss Neil Berkett is to quit once the Liberty Global deal wraps. He told analysts on a conference call that he isn’t very good at being Number Two in an organisation. Liberty also confirmed Virgin would be re-domiciled to the UK and the parent company will be a UK PLC. The combined Liberty/Virgin […]