MandA (M&A – Mergers and Acquisitions) News

United Group makes strategic investment in Forthnet
May 29, 2020 – United Group has agreed to acquire the debt and a significant minority interest in Forthnet. The transaction will see United Group acquire all of the company’s loan obligations, the convertible debt and an initial 36% of the company’s shares.
News categories: United Group, Forthnet, BC Partners, Victoriya Boklag, Panos Papadopoulos, Nikos Stathopoulos, Digital TV, Greece, MandA, Satellite

Comcast, Charter and ViacomCBS announce Blockgraph partnership
May 29, 2020 – Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA), Charter (NASDAQ: CHTR) and ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) have agreed to take equal ownership of Blockgraph. The joint venture is focused on ushering in a new way of using audience data for advanced TV and premium video advertising.
News categories: Blockgraph, Comcast Advertising, Charter Communications, ViacomCBS, Jason Manningham, Marcien Jenckes, David Kline, John Halley, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, MandA, USA

Bitė to acquire Telecentras' IPTV business in Lithuania
May 22, 2020 – Telecentras and Bitė Lietuva have signed an agreement under which Bitė is to acquire Telecentro’s Internet, data transmission and IPTV business in Lithuania, which is being developed under the Mezon brand.
News categories: Bitė Lietuva, Telecentras, Pranas Kuisys, Vidas Danielius, Digital TV, IPTV, Lithuania, MandA

Liberty Global and Telefónica to merge UK operations
May 7, 2020 – Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB, LBTYK) and Telefónica (Madrid: TEF) have agreed to merge their operating businesses in the UK to form a 50:50 joint venture. The combination will create an integrated communications provider with over 46 million subscribers.
News categories: Liberty Global, Telefónica, Mike Fries, Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, Cable TV, MandA, Mobile, UK

Telefónica confirms UK merger discussions with Liberty Global
May 4, 2020 – Telefónica has said that in relation to discussions with Liberty Global on a potential integration of their respective telecoms businesses in the UK, Telefónica informs that the process initiated by both parties is in a negotiation phase.
News categories: Telefónica, Liberty Global, O2, Virgin Media, Cable TV, Digital TV, MandA, Mobile, UK

Millicom terminates Telefónica Costa Rica purchase agreement
May 2, 2020 – Millicom International Cellular has announced that it has exercised its right to terminate the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) for the acquisition of Telefónica’s operating subsidiary in Costa Rica in accordance with the terms of the SPA.
News categories: Millicom, Telefónica, Costa Rica, MandA, Mobile

EU approves Canal Digital-Viasat Consumer joint venture
Apr 30, 2020 – The European Commission has approved the combination of Canal Digital, Telenor Group’s satellite pay-TV business, with Viasat Consumer, Nordic Entertainment Group’s satellite pay-TV and broadband-TV business.
News categories: Telenor, NENT Group, Jørgen C. Arentz Rostrup, Denmark, Digital TV, IPTV, MandA, Norway, Regulation, Satellite, Sweden

Forthnet owners negotiating its sale to United Group
Apr 28, 2020 – Nomura has notified Forthnet of the commencement of exclusive negotiations with United Group on a proposal that United has submitted to the banks NBG, Alpha, Piraeus and Attica Bank aimed at the execution of documents for a transaction.
News categories: Forthnet, United Group, Digital TV, Greece, MandA, Satellite

Eros International and STX Entertainment to merge
Apr 17, 2020 – Eros International (NYSE:EROS) and STX Filmworks have entered into a stock-for-stock merger agreement to create the first publicly traded, independent content and distribution company with global reach and unique positions in the United States, India and China.
News categories: Eros International, STX Entertainment, Kishore Lulla, Robert Simonds, China, Digital TV, India, MandA, Streaming, USA