Polish DTH platform Cyfrowy Polsat has snapped up two local digital terrestrial television channels for just under PLN100m (US$31.6m).
Its acquisition of broadcaster Polish Media, which owned the TV4 and TV6 channels, gives the group a 23.5% audience…
Polish DTH platform Cyfrowy Polsat has snapped up two local digital terrestrial television channels for just under PLN100m (US$31.6m).
Its acquisition of broadcaster Polish Media, which owned the TV4 and TV6 channels, gives the group a 23.5% audience share in the country, and a 25.3% stake of its advertising market.
Cyfrowy president Dominik Libicki said the deal, which it expects to close in July subject to regulatory approvals, is in line with its strategy to strengthen its market position by boosting audience numbers. KPMG advised Cyfrowy’s board on the deal, and it is being financed from its own funds.
Coinciding with the announcement, the company also revealed it had agreed to sell RSTV, which distributes analogue TV and radio signals over 37 broadcast transmission towers, to local towerco Emitel for PLN45.5m (US$14.4m).
It said that, with the country’s transition of terrestrial TV from analogue to digital, it would have been required to further invest in these assets, with no additional synergies for the wider group.
Denies interest in web platform
Separately, in early April Cyfrowy was forced to deny it was interested in buying Polish web portal Wirtualnej Polski, following press speculation that it had joined the race to acquire the group.
The web portal is being sold by Polish telco TPSA, which is owned by France Telecom.
Citing sources, Reuters reported that Cyfrowy had joined the bidding for the group, which analysts value at up to PLN500m (US$153m), to expand its reach beyond its broadcast and pay-TV units.
However, Cyfrowy strongly denied it was interested in buying the web portal, adding that it saw no direct synergies from such a deal.