Discovery buys stake in French pay TV broadcaster

Discovery Networks International has acquired a 20% stake in French pay broadcaster Televista.

The move will see the global factual broadcaster help develop Televista’s female-skewing lifestyle channels including Via, which has applied for a license to run a digital terrestrial television (DTT) channel.

Discovery will give Televista access to its library of female skewing content, while local French programming developed by Televista will be aired on Discovery’s raft of channels internationally including TLC and Real Time.

The deal was struck between Televista CEO Gaspard de Chavagnac and Dee Forbes, president and managing director, Discovery Networks Western Europe.

Chavagnac said: “I am very pleased to welcome Discovery Networks International, the largest non fiction media company in the world to Televista.  Discovery will bring both  expertise and content we need to accelerate our development especially in Free DTT channels where Discovery is already present in Italy, Spain and Germany.”