Pay-TV group Canal Plus has announced its intention to acquire a 70 percent majority stake in SPI International, a global player in content distribution and broadcasting. The company operates 42 TV channels and owns household brands including FilmBox, Film1, Kino Polska, Stopklatka, Dizi. Its free-to-air and pay-TV channels are present in several key European markets (such as Poland, Czechia, Romania, Serbia, the Netherlands and Russia), and its FilmBox+ streaming service recently reached more than 1 million subscribers worldwide.
The operation is subject to regulatory approval in the markets concerned, including from authorities responsible for antitrust and merger control. Following completion, SPI International’s current management team and operational structure will remain in place.
Canal Plus and SPI International have been strategic partners for years. The Vivendi subsidiary said that the acquisition fits with its ambition to reach 30 million subscribers by 2025, from 22 million currently. It will also be an opportunity to drive collaboration in the central and eastern European region, where Canal Plus operates through M7 brands.
