SeaChange purchases European content aggregator
Oct 11, 2005 8:00 AM, Strategic Content Management e-newsletter
SeaChange International has acquired the remaining 72 percent of the outstanding capital stock of the On Demand Group (ODG) that it did not previously own.
ODG is a London-based aggregator of television content that provides movies and other television programming for on-demand and pay-per-view services throughout Europe, including cable operators ntl and Telewest in the U.K. ODG is also a principal in the recently launched FilmFlex on-demand movie service venture with Sony Pictures and The Walt Disney Company.
SeaChange paid approximately $13.4 million in cash at the closing for the remaining portion of ODG, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of SeaChange. In addition, under earn-out provisions in the purchase agreement, if ODG meets certain annual performance goals over the period through Jan. 31, 2008, SeaChange will pay an additional $9 million (at today’s exchange rate) in contingent consideration, including up to 50 percent payable in shares of SeaChange Common Stock with the remainder payable in cash.
ODG was formed in 1995 and is privately funded. It is considered a leader in Europe in interactive media service deployment and development, content management and television production. It has provided services in more than 20 countries. In 2002, SeaChange entered into a non-exclusive strategic partnership with ODG to develop video-on-demand opportunities worldwide. ODG has recently worked extensively in supplying a wide range of movies, kids programming, television and music video content and project management services for the successful launch of the ntl on-demand service in January 2005.
In 2004, ODG, Sony Pictures, and the Walt Disney Company founded FilmFlex to provide an on-demand movie service. Since then, FilmFlex was selected by ntl and Telewest to provide their on-demand films offering, together with systems and software from SeaChange. FilmFlex provides content from the libraries of Sony Pictures Television International, Sony Classics, Walt Disney Television International, Warner Brothers, Pathe, MGM, Dreamworks, Hollywood Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Miramax Film, Buena Vista International, Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, TriStar, Icon and other sources. With its acquisition of ODG, SeaChange acquires ODG’s interest in FilmFlex.
For more information, visit www.schange.com.
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