SFR completes Altice deal

Altice-owned French telecom and cable operator SFR has completed the acquisition of Altice Media Group France, which owns print titles including L’Express and Libération as well as a 49% stake in NextRadioTV, the owner of TV channels BFM TV, BFMN Business and RMC.

Altice acquired its stake in NextRadioTV last year for €670 million through a partnership with the group’s founder Alan Weill, who will retain a 51% stake in the group until 2019.

SFR plans to build on the acquisition to create a convergent media and telecoms company. The group announced plans for the launch of five media service –  SFR Presse, SFR Sport, SFR News, SFR Play and SFR Family- in April. SFR Sport, an anchor TV service comprising five channels, will be the vehicle for SFR’s coverage of the English Premier League

SFR News will include the existing BFM TV, BFM Business and Israeli i24 channels, as well as two new services – BFM TV Sport, which will launch in time for the Euro 2016 football championship, and BFM TV Paris, which will launch in October. I24 will become an HD channel.

SFR Play is a live and on-demand service built around SVoD offering Zive.