India’s Videocon d2h Raises $325 Million with U.S. NASDAQ Listing

LOS ANGELES: Silver Eagle Acquisition Corp., the acquisition vehicle formed by Harry Sloan and Jeff Sagansky, has completed its $273.3 million deal with India's Videocon d2h, a direct-to-home pay-TV provider, which has now gone public in the U.S. on NASDAQ.

The company made its debut on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on April 1, with the listing of its $325 million American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). Both Sloan and Sagansky are expected to join the board of directors of Videocon d2h. The Mumbai-based company distributes more than 500 digital television channels and other video and audio services to subscribers via direct satellite feeds. It is the first satellite TV service in India to roll out the 4K format and is the only pay-TV operator that operates its own service centers.

Sloan said: “U.S. investor interest in the transaction has been strong as it affords U.S. investors the opportunity to participate early in the U.S. listing of Videocon d2h, which is the fastest growing DTH Pay-TV operator in India, the fastest growing pay TV market in the world. Beyond this very significant organic growth, we will be exploring numerous possibilities for the company to expand as a force in India's developing media business.”
 
Sagansky added: “Until now, most of the investments in Indian media have focused on content. But the powerful Videocon d2h platform can participate in sector growth in multiple ways including subscriber growth, advertising and channel creation. We’d like to congratulate Saurabh Dhoot and his talented team at Videocon d2h for all of their accomplishments which have been achieved in a very short period of time.”
 
Saurabh Dhoot, the executive director of Videocon d2h, commented: “This transaction and NASDAQ listing is a testament to what my team has been able accomplish. The digitalization mandate in India will represent a catalyst for growth in the DTH sector in our country. With Videocon d2h’s industry-leading technology, differentiated programming and dedicated call centers which deliver exceptional customer service, our platform is well positioned for future growth. We are very pleased to be partners with Harry and Jeff and benefit from their decades of experience in media platforms and content.”