Televisa, Univision Set Merger Deal

Televisa is selling its media and content assets to Univision for $4.8 billion, with SoftBank Latin America Fund, Google, The Raine Group and ForgeLight among those participating in the financing of the transaction.

Televisa-Univision will be the largest Spanish-language media company in the world, home to a significant content library, a portfolio of sports rights, broadcast and pay-TV assets and on-demand services. In addition to its content library, Televisa is contributing its four free-to-air channels, 27 pay-TV networks channels and stations, the Videocine movie studio and Blim TV SVOD service. Univision owns the Univision and UniMás broadcast networks, nine Spanish-language cable networks, 61 television stations and 58 radio stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico, as well the new AVOD streaming service, PrendeTV.

Televisa will remain the largest shareholder in Televisa-Univision with an equity stake of approximately 45 percent. It will retain ownership of izzi Telecom, Sky and other businesses, as well as the main real estate associated with the production facilities, the broadcasting licenses and transmission infrastructure in Mexico.

Univision CEO Wade Davis will lead the combined company, with Alfonso de Angoitia as executive chairman of the board. Marcelo Claure, CEO of SoftBank International, will become vice chairman of the board.

“This strategic combination generates significant value for shareholders of both companies and will allow us to more efficiently reach all Spanish-language audiences with more of our programming,” said Emilio Azcárraga, executive chairman of the Televisa board of directors. “Together, Televisa-Univision can more aggressively pursue innovation and growth through digital platforms as the industry continues to evolve. Our new investors at the SoftBank Latin America Fund, Google and The Raine Group are just as excited about the opportunities presented by this combination.”

“This transformative combination brings together the leading network serving U.S. Spanish-language audiences with the leading media platform in Mexico powered by the most powerful Spanish-language content engine in the world,” said Davis. “Televisa-Univision will emerge as the leading global Spanish-language multi-media company, uniquely positioned to capture the significant market opportunity for Spanish speakers worldwide.”

Davis continued, “The composition of our new investor group reflects confidence in our strategy, the progress of our digital transformation and the magnitude of the opportunity ahead of us. I would like to thank Chairman Emilio Azcárraga for his confidence in us, to continue as partners growing the incredible company he and his family have built. I would also like to thank Televisa Co-CEOs Alfonso de Angoitia and Bernardo Gómez for their continued support and partnership as we work together to provide our audience with even more access to even more powerful, compelling and engaging Spanish-language content, however they choose to access it.”

“We have been deeply involved with Univision for more than two decades, and we have never enjoyed a better relationship with our partners,” said Gómez and de Angoitia, Televisa’s co-CEOs. “We are creating a company which is a leader across multimedia categories, unified over the largest territories and with the scale and focus to deliver the most compelling content experience to Spanish-language consumers around the world. We are confident that this strategic transaction will maximize the potential of our content segment while allowing us to strengthen our balance sheet and focus on growth opportunities at our telecom business.”