Kabel Deutschland


Telcos are ‘taking over pay TV’

Telecoms companies will account for over half of all pay TV subscriptions in Western Europe and Lat-Am within five years, according to new research. Research house Ovum forecasts that over a quarter of all global pay TV subs will be through telcos, with additions largely going to be driven by organic expansion of IPTV services. […]

Kabel Deutschland suffers reverse in pubcaster row

A Munich court has ruled that Vodafone-owned German cable operator Kabel Deutschland must continue to broadcast public educational channel ARD-alpha in analogue in its Bavarian network, following legal action by ARD Bavarian affiliate Bayerischer Rundfunk. Kabel Deutschland had tried to remove the channel, formerly BR-alpha, from its line-up as part of its campaign to pressurise […]

Maxdome CEO to exit

German VOD service Maxdome is saying goodbye to its CEO for the second time in four months. Lesley MacKenzie, who is also executive VP of entertainment at Maxdome parent ProSiebenSat.1, is leaving the business to pursue other opportunities in the on-demand space. Her departure from ProSiebenSat.1’s E-Entertainment division comes just four months after she replaced […]

Vodafone’s Kabel Deutschland deal approved

Vodafone has secured European Commission approval for its takeover of Kabel Deutschland. The EC competition authority said that it had no objections to the takeover of Germany’s largest cable operator by the mobile telecoms giant. According to the Commission, which approved the acquisition without conditions, said the deal will not have a significant impact on […]

Kabel Deutschland approves Vodafone takeover

Vodafone’s €7.7 billion (US$10.2 billion) takeover offer for Kabel Deutschland has been accepted by the required 75% minimum of Kabel Deutschland shareholders, the firm confirmed. Despite reports this week that Vodafone was far short of securing the required support ahead of the September 11 offer deadline, Kabel Deutschland said in a statement last night that […]

Vodafone ‘primed to acquire Liberty Global’

Liberty Global shares rose sharply yesterday on speculation that Vodafone could use cash freed up by its exit from a Verizon Wireless joint venture in the US to acquire the international cable giant. Liberty Global shares rose by almost 4% in late trading, peaking at US$79.14 a share before closing at US$78.59, after Macquarie Equities […]

Sport1 inks ESPN deal, launches US sports channel

German sports broadcaster Sport1 is launching a new pay-TV channel for US sports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland after licensing content from ESPN Sports Media. Sport1 US is due to launch on August 1 and will be available in both SD and HD on the Kabel Deutschland, Sky Deutschland, Unitymedia and Kabel BW platforms. The […]

John Malone concedes Kabel Deutschland chase over

Liberty Global owner John Malone has admitted his company has lost the race to buy German cableco Kabel Deutschland to Vodafone. In June, Vodafone agreed a deal to buy the cable provider for €7.7 billion (US$10 billion) and Malone told Bloomberg that the telco had beaten it to a German deal. “Unfortunately the Vodafone guys […]

Analysts cool on Vodafone’s ‘risky’ Kabel Deutschland deal

Moody’s has said that the benefits to Vodafone of acquiring Kabel Deutschland could be outweighed by the associated financial risks. UK telco Vodafone beat Liberty Global to German MSO KDG in a €7.7 billion (US$10.1 billion) deal announced earlier this week. The agreement still needs clearance from the European Commission, but is expected to close […]

Vodafone agrees €7.7bn Kabel Deutschland deal

Vodafone has agreed to buy German cable TV provider Kabel Deutschland in a €7.7 billion (US$10.1 billion) deal. The deal will establish the UK-based mobile operator as a leading triple-play cable provider in Germany – offering TV, broadband, mobile and fixed-line phone services. Vodafone is due to pay €87 per share, an increase of 37% […]