MandA (M&A – Mergers and Acquisitions) News

EU opens competition investigation into Telia's acquisition of Bonnier Broadcasting
May 10, 2019 – The European Commission has opened an investigation to assess the proposed acquisition of Bonnier Broadcasting by Telia Company. The Commission is concerned that the merged entity may shut out competitors from the audio-visual sector in Finland and Sweden.
News categories: European Commission, Telia Company, Bonnier Broadcasting, Digital TV, Finland, MandA, Regulation, Sweden

TiVo to separate Product and IP Licensing businesses
May 9, 2019 – TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) has approved a plan to separate its Product and IP Licensing businesses. TiVo intends to spin out its Product business to shareholders and the company will continue to be open to strategic transactions for each business.
News categories: TiVo Corp, Raghu Rau, Content Distribution, Digital TV, MandA, Patent, Set Top Box, USA, UX, Worldwide

T-Mobile Austria and UPC Austria merge to form Magenta Telekom
May 7, 2019 – T-Mobile Austria and UPC Austria have merged to form Magenta Telekom. The Deutsche Telekom subsidiary will market its services under the Magenta retail brand, while retaining the T logo as its corporate brand.
News categories: Magenta Telekom, Austria, Cable TV, Digital TV, MandA

Telenor and Axiata enter discussions to merge Asian operations
May 6, 2019 – Telenor and Axiata Group are in discussions regarding a potential non-cash combination of their telecom and infrastructure assets in Asia, in which Telenor would take a majority stake. It is anticipated that Telenor will own 56.5% and Axiata will own 43.5%.
News categories: Telenor, Axiata, Gunn Wærsted, Sigve Brekke, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, MandA, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand

Altice USA to acquire Cheddar
Apr 30, 2019 – Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS) has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Cheddar, the digital-first news company, for $200 million. The transaction is expected to close in the next two months upon receipt of regulatory approval.
News categories: Altice USA, Cheddar, Dexter Goei, Jon Steinberg, Advertising, Digital TV, MandA, USA

SK Broadband signs merger contract with t-broad
Apr 26, 2019 – SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) has announced that its subsidiary SK Broadband and t-broad, a subsidiary of Taekwang Industrial, have signed a merger contract to better respond to the rapid changes in the pay TV market and strengthen their media competitiveness.
News categories: SK Broadband, t-broad, Cable TV, Digital TV, Korea, MandA

Tektronix Video merges into Telestream
Apr 25, 2019 – Telestream has announced a partnership with Fortive (NYSE: FTV) to integrate Tektronix Video, a global leader in video test, monitoring and quality assurance solutions for the broadcast and digital media markets, into the Telestream business.
News categories: Telestream, Tektronix, Scott Puopolo, MandA, QoE, Worldwide

ACCESS acquires NetRange
Apr 16, 2019 – ACCESS Europe has acquired NetRange. The acquisition guarantees that the company’s customers will be able to deploy solutions spanning the entire connected entertainment portfolio inside the home, on-the-go and in connected vehicles.
News categories: ACCESS CO, NetRange, Dr. Neale Foster, Jan Wendt, Automotive, Digital TV, MandA, Smart TV, Streaming, Worldwide

AT&T sells Hulu minority stake back to Hulu
Apr 15, 2019 – AT&T (NYSE:T) and Hulu have announced an agreement by which AT&T has sold its minority stake in Hulu back to the streaming video joint venture. The transaction valued Hulu at $15 billion, with AT&T's 9.5% interest valued at $1.43 billion.
News categories: AT&T, Hulu, Randy Freer, Digital TV, MandA, Streaming, USA