The strong performance of the Canal+ Group helped Vivendi beat first half forecasts. The premium channel group added 94,000 new subscriptions with the figures adjusted to take into account the merger with the TPS platform. The group has accelerated the migration of the remaining analogue subscribers, with 240,000 upgrades since January 2009 taking it ahead […]
Disney is betting on Content as King, paying $4bn for Marvel Entertainment in a shares and cash deal. Disney will take over ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters, if the deal is approved by Marvel shareholders and competition regulators. “We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth […]
SeaChange International, provider of software and hardware solutions for VOD television, has confirmed the acquisition of eventIS Group – a privately owned Netherlands-based company that provides VOD and linear broadcast software and related services to cable television and telecommunication companies primarily in Europe.
ARRIS has acquired certain assets of EG Technology, an Atlanta-based company for approximately $6.5 million. Under the terms of the agreement, Arris acquired EGT patents and video processing technology for digital networks, and will employ approximately 20-25 of the existing employees. The acquisition complements ARRIS video offerings by adding multi-functional, flexible, and scalable video processors […]
German cable operator Kabel Deutschland (KDG) added 23,000 digital pay-TV subs during the 12 months to the end of June, a 2.8% increase on the previous year for a total of 842,000 digital pay-TV RGUs at the end of the first half of the year. The proportion of subscribers taking premium services, including pay-TV, DVR […]
The Kudelski Group owner of Nagravision and major shareholder in Open TV, has released its half year 2009 results. During this period, the Group says it started to reap the fruits of the migration of a significant share of its digital TV conditional access deployed base to the service model. In 2008, the Group delivered […]
TiVo has filed complaints in the US District Court against AT&T and Verizon Communications for infringement of three TiVo patents – 'Multimedia Time Warping System', 'System for Time Shifting Multimedia Content Streams', and 'Automatic Playback Overshoot Correction System'. The complaints seek damages for past infringement and a permanent injunction, similar to that issued by the […]
Talks between TF1 and M6 and pay-TV platforms about carriage of their respective thematic channels have reached a deadlock say reports. DTH operator Canal Plus currently holds exclusive rights to the channels, including Histoire, TV Breizh, Ushuaia TV, Odyssee, Serie Club and Eurosport, for which it pays approximately E60m. The broadcasters have offered their channels […]
NBC Universal has appointed Denise O’Donoghue, co-founder and former joint managing director of UK-based Hat Trick Productions, as head of its international production division. She has a brief to grow the business aggressively both organically and through acquisition.
There is uncertainty surrounding the purchase of file-sharing website The Pirate Bay by Swedish-based Global Gaming Factory (GGF). Trading in GGF shares has been suspended and there are reports that the firm’s chairman – Magnus Bergman – has resigned. GGF paid £4.7 million (E5.4m) to take over The Pirate Bay in June. The Swedish stock […]