Vivendi’s subsidiary Canal Plus has announced the acquisition of Luxembourg-based pay-TV operator M7 Group from private equity firm Astorg Partners, in a deal worth slightly over EUR 1 billion. Subject to approval from the European Commission, the acquisition would enable the broadcaster to expand its presence in seven new European markets.
M7 generates revenues of more than EUR 400 million, aggregating and distributing content from local and international labels, such as Disney Channel, HBO and Eurosport. Having started as a satellite TV operator, the group has evolved into a platform agnostic TV provider with IPTV, DTT and OTT capabilities.
Operating under different brands, the group counts among its assets the Czech and Slovak satellite platform Skylink, HD Austria, and the TV Vlaanderen service in Belgium. Overall, M7’s operations have a customer base of 3 million, including 0.8 million subscribers to basic access packages, across the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. The company also agreed at the end of 2019 to acquire Liberty Global's satellite service UPC Direct in Czech Republic, Slovakia Romania and Hungary.
With the acquisition, Canal Plus’s customers would reach 12 million across Europe, where the broadcaster has already a presence in Poland and Switzerland, alongside its core market of France. Including its European and international subsidiaries, Canal Plus reported 15.75 million subscribers at end-March.
