News Analysis

Liberty Global Completes Acquisition of Virgin Media

Denver, Colo., June 10, 2013--Liberty Global plc has completed its acquisition of British cable operator Virgin Media Inc. in a stock and cash merger valued at approximately US$ 24 billion (€18.26 billion) following shareholder approvals, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

‘TV Everywhere’ Less than Half Deployed Four Years after Launch

Plano, Tex., June 7, 2013--According to The Diffusion Group (TDG), more than four years after the first public announcement of the cable industry’s ‘TV Everywhere’ (TVE) initiative, deployment to America’s multichannel TV subscribers remains at less than 50%.

CBS Acquires Full Ownership of TV Guide Digital

New York, NY, June 4, 2013--CBS Corp. has acquired full control of TV Guide’s online and mobile apps divisions after buying out the 50 percent share held by Lionsgate Entertainment.This latest deal makes CBS the outright owner of Lionsgate’s digital assets, including TVGuide.com and TV Guide Mobile, which provide news and information about TV shows and movies in addition to TV listings.

Ericsson Mobility Report: LTE and Smartphones Driving Video Traffic Growth

Stockholm, Sweden, June 3, 2013--The new edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report reveals thatmobile-data traffic will continue to grow significantly in the coming years, a trend driven mainly by video. Overall data traffic is expected to grow 12-fold by the end of 2018. Increasing usage is driven by continual growth in the amount of content available as well as the improved network speeds that come with HSPA and LTE development.

2013 is Darwinian Tipping Point Year for Telecoms Industry: ‘Evolve or Die!’ according to IDATE research

Brussels, Belgium,  June 3, 2013--IDATE  has published the 13th edition of its DigiWorld Yearbook with its theme "Embrace innovation: Evolve or die!  IDATE experts provide a concise and easy to read reference manual of the digital world, including key figures and a look at the latest innovations and key events that marked telecom, internet and media markets during 2012.

SingTel seeking US$1.93 billion for Optus Satellite unit

Singapore, June 3, 2013 — Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (ST), Southeast Asia’s biggest telco, is seeking more than US$1.93 billion (Au$2 billion) starting bid for the sale of its Australian satellite unit, according to various media reports.

Digitürk for Sale as Turkish State Fund Seizes Çukurova Assets

Ankara, Turkey,  May 31, 2013--Turkey’s satellite television provider Digitürk is up for sale following  a Turkish state fund’s seizure of 12 companies owned by the pay TV operator’s majority owner, Çukurova Group.

Dish's Ergen Bids US$ 2 Bil. for LightSquared

Englewood, Colo.., May 22, 2013 — In another bold attempt Charles Ergen, chairman of Dish Network Corp., has offered to buy broadband company LightSquared Inc., which is in bankruptcy proceedings,  for its wireless airwaves for US$ 2 Bil.

Satellite Manufacturing and Launch Services Transformation Ahead

New NSR Report Pinpoints Game-Changing Improvements in an Increasingly Competitive Industry

CAMBRIDGE, Mass, May 20, 2013 – NSR’s Satellite Manufacturing and Launch Services (SMLS), 3rd Edition report describes the difficulties of an industry facing a low demand period and the technologies and changes that will greatly improve the industry value proposition over the next decade.

SES reports 2.1% drop in revenue to US$568.12 million

Betzdorf, Luxembourg, May 17, 2013 — SES S.A. has posted revenues of US$568.12 million (€440.8 million) for its latest quarterly results, down 2.1 percent year-on-year. EBITDA for the three months ended March 31 reached US$414.00 million (€321.2 million), down 4.8 percent.