Advanced Television

M&A

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

Redbird IMI acquires All3Media for £1.1bn

RedBird IMI has agreed to acquire All3Media, the independent television production and distribution company, from its joint owners – Warner Bros Discovery and Liberty Global – for £1.15 billion (€1.35bn). RedBird IMI is a joint venture between RedBird Capital Partners and International Media Investments focused on building companies in media, entertainment and sports. All3Media, based […]

February 16, 2024

EU may relax M&A to boost 5G

EU regulators may relax rules against mobile telecoms mergers and broaden telecoms rules to get Big Tech and others to help fund the rollout of 5G, according to a European Commission document reported by Reuters. National telcos have long lobbied EU antitrust regulators to loosen rules that clampdown on mergers that reduce the number of […]

February 14, 2024

Virgin Media O2, TalkTalk resume talks

Virgin Media O2 has renewed its interest in acquiring TalkTalk’s consumer division after a larger £3 billion deal for the entire ISP was abandoned in Q4 2022 following market and regulatory uncertainty. Discussions are said to be in their early stages, with no guarantee of a deal, according to The Telegraph. TalkTalk is currently restructuring […]

February 12, 2024

Canal+ raises stake in Viaplay

Canal+, the pay-TV business owned by French media group Vivendi, has raised its stake in Viaplay to 29.33 per cent as part of a recapitalization plan, confirming its position as the largest shareholder in the Nordic streaming platform. Canal+;s previous stake in Viaplay was 12 per cent. Viaplay separately said it completed a recapitalisation that […]

February 9, 2024

Lynk to merge with Slam

Lynk Global and special purchase acquisition company Slam Corp are to merge. The pair announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement under which Slam will combine with Lynk. Upon completion, the combined company will operate as Lynk Global Holdings, and its shares expected to be publicly listed on Nasdaq under the […]

February 9, 2024By Chris Forrester

Disney invests $1.5bn in Epic Games; streamer sheds 1.3m

The Walt Disney Company and Fortnite maker Epic Games have announced they will collaborate on all-new games and an entertainment universe. Disney will also invest $1.5 billion (€1.39bn) to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games alongside the multiyear project. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. In addition to interoperating […]

February 8, 2024

India arbitrator demands response from Sony

The Zee-Sony merger cancellation dispute rumbles on. India’s National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) issued a formal notice to Culver Max (formerly Sony Pictures Networks) on February 6th and has asked for a response in two weeks. The NCLT move comes in response to an application filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. Zee’s application, in essence, wants […]

February 8, 2024By Chris Forrester