TV18 to increase stake to 51% in Viacom18, the JV with Viacom Inc
Brand and Content Licence agreement extended by 10 years
Viacom and TV18 reaffirm commitment to grow the joint venture
31st January, 2018: TV18 Broadcast (NSE: TV18) and Viacom Inc (NASDAQ: VIAB), joint-venture partners in Viacom18 Media Private Limited today announced that TV18 shall take operational control of Viacom18. TV18 shall raise its stake to 51% by acquiring 1% of Viacom18’s equity from Viacom Inc. for a cash consideration of US$ 20mn. The brands and content licence agreement between Viacom Inc. and Viacom18 also gets extended by 10 years.
The partners believe that in the fast-evolving Media & Entertainment landscape in India, TV18 can drive value-addition and synergies across the multi-platform group comprising broadcast, digital, filmed and experiential entertainment and media businesses. Viacom continues to hold 49% in Viacom18, and shares TV18’s vision for scalability and enhanced efficiency at Viacom18.
Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman - Network18, said, “The transaction further enables our vision for Viacom18 to accentuate its focus on excellence and integration in the broadcast and digital space. The entertainment powerhouse continues to be bolstered by Viacom’s global expertise in content creation and curation, along with Network18 group and affiliates’ strength across the media & telecom value-chain”
David Lynn, CEO – Viacom International Media Networks, said, “Viacom 18 is one of the fastest growing companies in India’s dynamic media and technology sector and, as a result of this transaction, we believe it will be even better-positioned for accelerated growth through closer integration and alignment with the Network 18 Group and its affiliates, including India’s fastest growing mobile network, Jio. Viacom remains strongly committed to our Viacom 18 joint venture with the Network 18 Group and we are retaining the vast majority of our ownership stake in the company. We’re delighted to extend our licencing deal with Viacom 18 and see clear potential to expand it in live events and recreation, in line with our growing global presence in these lines of business.”
Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO – Viacom18, said, “We turned 10 last year and our growth journey has been exciting to say the least. None of this would have been possible without the support and commitment of both our partners. This development will allow us to leverage deeper synergies with Jio as we enter our next growth phase. As India’s youngest full-play media organization, we remain committed to winning the hearts of our audiences across all our on-air, on-line, in-store, in-theatre and on-ground businesses- and enriching the digital life of every Indian.”
What started out as a broadcast business with 3 channels – MTV, Nickelodeon and Vh1 – in 2007, Viacom18 today has 44 television channels across 80 countries in 6 different languages. It has also diversified into 5 lines of business, spawning broadcast, digital, films, merchandise and live events. Viacom18 has reported total revenues of Rs. 30407 million in last financial year 2016-17, charting a >40X growth in topline since inception.
About TV18 Broadcast
TV18 Broadcast is the broadcasting arm of India’s leading media conglomerate Network18 Media & Investments, which is controlled by Independent Media Trust, the sole beneficiary of which is Reliance Industries. TV18 operates India’s largest bouquet of News channels across 12 languages and 26 states; with marquee properties like CNBC TV18 in Business News and CNN News18 in English News. Through its JV Viacom18, it also operates a portfolio of entertainment channels across genres, including leading premium local and global brands like Colors, Nickelodeon and MTV. Viacom18 also operates OTT platform VOOT, and produces and distributes films through Viacom18 Motion Pictures. TV18’s Infotainment JV AETN18 and distribution/syndication JV Indiacast complete the bouquet of offerings, making TV18 a full-portfolio broadcast player. For more information about TV18 and its businesses, visit www.network18online.com .
About Viacom Inc
Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling entertainment content - including television programs, motion pictures, short-form content, apps, games, consumer products, podcasts, live events and social media experiences - for audiences in more than 180 countries. Viacom's media networks, including Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Spike (to be rebranded as Paramount Network in the U.S.), VH1, TV Land, CMT, Logo, Channel 5 (UK), Telefe (Argentina), Colors (India) and Paramount Channel, reach approximately 4.3 billion cumulative television subscribers worldwide. Paramount Pictures is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. Paramount Television develops, finances and produces original programming for television and digital platforms. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com .
About VIACOM18
Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of India's fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform, multi-generational and multicultural brand experiences. A joint venture of Viacom Inc. and the Network18 Group, Viacom18 defines entertainment in India by touching the lives of people through its properties on air, online, on ground, in shop and through cinema.
Also, from The Hollywood Reporter:
Viacom's India Partner Takes Majority Stake in Joint Venture
Viacom reduced its stake in Viacom18 from 50 percent to 49 percent for $20 million in the venture that runs various TV, film and digital businesses, valuing it at $2 billion.
Viacom’s Indian partner Network18 has increased its stake in joint venture Viacom18 from 50 percent to 51 percent for $20 million, taking operational control of the company.
The deal values Viacom18 at $2 billion. Viacom CEO Bob Bakish late last year said that Viacom, despite owning half of it, doesn't get "any value recognition for" the India business.
The companies also said that a brands and content licensing agreement between Viacom and Viacom18 has been extended by 10 years.
Viacom18 was established 10 years ago as an equal joint venture, which started off with a TV business running three channels, MTV India, Nickelodeon India and VH1 India. It has over the years grown to 44 channels in six different languages, including news networks CNBC TV18 and CNN News18.
Viacom18 has also diversified into other businesses covering film, merchandising, live events and digital, including streaming video service Voot. The company’s film unit Viacom18 Motion Pictures just released the Bollywood epic Padmaavat last weekend, which became the top Bollywood opener in North America.
Network18 was originally co-founded by media professional Raghav Bahl in the mid-1990s and became a leading player in TV via its TV18 unit. In 2014, Network18 was acquired for $680 million by Reliance Industries (via holding entity Independent Media Trust), owned by India's richest tycoon Mukesh Ambani. His younger brother Anil Ambani separately runs his own group, Reliance ADA, which has been a financial backer of DreamWorks and Amblin Partners.
“Viacom 18 is one of the fastest growing companies in India’s dynamic media and technology sector and, as a result of this transaction, we believe it will be even better-positioned for accelerated growth through closer integration and alignment with the Network 18 Group and its affiliates, including India’s fastest growing mobile network, Jio,” said Viacom International Media Networks CEO David Lynn.
“We turned 10 last year and our growth journey has been exciting to say the least,” said Viacom18 CEO Sudhanshu Vats. “This development will allow us to leverage deeper synergies with Jio as we enter our next growth phase.”
“The transaction further enables our vision for Viacom18 to accentuate its focus on excellence and integration in the broadcast and digital space,” added Network18 chairman Adil Zainulbhai.
Viacom18 reported revenue of $478 million (30.4 billion rupees) for the 2016-2017 financial year.
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Also, from Variety:
TV18 Buys Control of Viacom Joint Venture in India
TV18, the Mukesh Ambani-controlled media group, is to take operational and economic control of Viacom18, its Indian TV joint venture with U.S. media conglomerate Viacom.
TV18 is paying $20 million to buy a 1% stake in Viacom18, raising its shareholding from 50% to 51%. The deal values the business at $2 billion. The branding and license agreement between Viacom and Viacom18 is also extended for a further 10 years.
The move allows Ambani, India’s richest businessman, to increase the crossover between Viacom18 and the other parts of his media empire, which includes TV18, and crucially Jio. Ambani’s Reliance Industries spent a reported $22 billion building out Jio as a nationwide cellular broadband network, which launched some 18 months ago.
Since then, Jio, with its lower tariffs and national reach, has transformed the Indian media and telecoms landscape. It has forced mergers among cellular phone operators, caused consolidation in pay-TV, and opened the door to OTT services such as Amazon and Netflix.
When the joint venture was hatched in 2007, it had three channels– MTV, Nickelodeon and Vh1. Viacom18 today has 44 television channels across 80 countries in 6 different languages, and straddles broadcast, digital, films, merchandise and live events. Revenues last year were $477 million (Rs. 30.44 billion) in last financial year 2016-17.
The group was the backer of the recently released hit movie “Padmaavat.” Its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is reported to be setting up his next film project with the company.
Earlier this week, a research paper from consultancy Media Partners Asia showed India to be by far the most significant part of Asia for the TV ventures of U.S. media conglomerates.
“The transaction further enables our vision for Viacom18 to accentuate its focus on excellence and integration in the broadcast and digital space. The entertainment powerhouse continues to be bolstered by Viacom’s global expertise in content creation and curation, along with Network18 group and affiliates’ strength across the media & telecom value-chain,” said Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman – Network18.
“Viacom 18 is one of the fastest growing companies in India’s dynamic media and technology sector and, as a result of this transaction, we believe it will be even better-positioned for accelerated growth through closer integration and alignment with the Network 18 Group and its affiliates,” said David Lynn, CEO – Viacom International Media Networks.
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Originally published: Wednesday, January 31, 2018.
H/T: ToonZone Forums /@animegamer.
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