Tata Communications Acquires The Switch to Create New Global Media ‘Powerhouse’
The combined entity creates new live-vide-transmission giant
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In an industry-changing deal for the live-video-transmission sector, Tata Communications has inked a deal to acquire The Switch. The acquisition gives Tata Communications a stronger foothold in the Americas M&E market and extends its portfolio further into live video production. Tata also says the deal will uniquely position the newly combined entity as “an end-to-end media ecosystem player in the entire content development value chain globally.”
With both companies coming together, Tata Communications will support The Switch customers with global reach to over 190 countries and territories. In addition, The Switch production infrastructure as a service model will allow Tata Communications customers to accelerate adoption of remote production from any event around the world, according to Tri Pham, Chief Strategy Officer, Tata Communications.
“Our combined forces of The Switch’s strong presence in North America and Tata Communications’ global position will create a formidable powerhouse in the global media ecosystem,” says Pham, “helping enterprises harness emerging digital consumption patterns to drive innovation and disruption.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Tata Communications has agreed to acquire 100% equity stake in The Switch Enterprises, LLC and certain of its international assets for a value of approximately US $58.8 million in a cash (subject to customary closing adjustments) only transaction. The closing of the transaction is dependent upon regulatory approvals.
“The team at The Switch has worked hard creating a market leading live production and transmission offering in the US and beyond,” says Eric Cooney, President & CEO, The Switch. “We are extremely proud of our achievements and the trust that Tier 1 media companies place in our services. As the media industry evolves, The Switch has an ever larger role to play in the future of live sports and entertainment and in helping our customers maximize their lucrative content. With Tata Communications we will accelerate this journey providing stability, investment and vision in support of future growth. I am excited for the future of The Switch and the opportunities that this brings to our team and customers.”
On completion of the transaction, The Switch Enterprises will join the Media and Entertainment Services (MES) business of Tata Communications under Dhaval Ponda, Global Head of Media & Entertainment Business, Tata Communications.
“The global media & entertainment industry is at a once-in-a-generation digital transformation driven by a fundamental change in consumer consumption behaviors,” says Ponda. “Tata Communications is already helping some of the largest global sports federations, broadcasters and OTT platforms manage this disruption through our next generation digital media platform. With The Switch team, we will now be able to develop holistic, scalable solutions encompassing live and scheduled programming for television, leveraging pre-recorded and filed videos for new content creation as well as all post-production. The Switch and Tata Communications teams, together will help the industry evolve to the next level of at-venue and at-home fan engagement.”
