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Old 03-06-2016, 19:23   #1
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VM General News Thread

This thread is a direct follow on from this one:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/10...um-pay-tv.html

I thought it might be useful to have all the news about what John Malone is getting up to in one place.

Firstly, a profile of him is here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Malone

But if you can't be bothered to read all that, in essence he is a telecoms engineer and a master of business who built up what was the largest US cable company in the 80s and 90s before selling it making him billions.

He's now rebuilding his former US cable empire while also owning a controlling stake in the company that owns Virgin Media. He also owns more land in America then any other individual.

I will update this thread with any news about him or his companies when I can.

Here's a useful diagram of his interests, but take note that it is slightly out of date as Charter has now merged with fellow cablecos Bright House and Time Warner Cable since the publication of this diagram which will give Malone around a 20% share of the merged entity and make him the largest shareholder:

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Old 03-06-2016, 23:35   #2
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

Great infographic, thanks for sharing.
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Old 06-06-2016, 18:51   #3
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

Liberty Global and Vodafone deal back on?

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...i/2849028.html
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Old 06-06-2016, 18:57   #4
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

We shall see...
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Old 07-06-2016, 12:39   #5
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

Not likely any time soon.

This story just keeps on popping up every few months, because it's a good story and they have pages they need to fill.
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Old 07-06-2016, 15:19   #6
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

Liberty and Malone are testing the waters by merging their Dutch operations. If that works out for both of them then perhaps they'll start talking a full blown merger in another year or so. Malone has repeatedly stated he wants to do a big deal before his retirement.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1andrew1 View Post
Great infographic, thanks for sharing.
You're welcome.

I will be posting various things when I've got the time. There's been lots of Discovery news snippets this week. Plus, there's lots of interviews that Malone has done over the years that some may find interesting.

As I said in my original thread, once he's recreated his US cable empire, which he's now done. Then at some point he'll go for a US mobile company. Then, merge Starz and Lionsgate together (he already now owns a share of Lionsgate) and possibly buy someone like Scripps, or AMC Networks. THen merge all of that with Liberty Global and Vodafone if he can.

I would not be surprised if he then sold the lot to someone like Apple or Google.

What he has always done is maintain control of "his" companies through different classes of shares even while only holding minority shareholdings. (Of course we were talking about this last week) So, I am curious to see if he continues this (he has always stated he wants to "influence" "his" companies) and if he does, where the money comes from. He is personally very rich and has just put 5 billion into the Charter merger.
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Old 09-06-2016, 21:01   #7
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

Vodafone NZ and Sky TV make $2.4bn deal.

Vodafone's New Zealand unit is merging with the country's biggest pay television provider Sky Network in a $2.4bn (£1.7bn) deal.

UK-based Vodafone, the world's second-biggest mobile carrier, will own 51% of the combined company.

Analysts say the deal might result in Vodafone leaving the New Zealand market.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36486455

Sky Network has nothing to do with Sky plc (Sky UK) since 2013 when News Corp announced it will be selling its 44 percent stake in Sky Television (New Zealand).

Will Vodafone UK and Europe next to be sold?
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Old 10-06-2016, 11:42   #8
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

UPC looks set to acquire fellow cable company Multimedia Polska.

Broadband TV News calculates that adding Multimedia Polska's 827,00 subscribers to UPC's 1.4m would give the company 50% of the cable market.

Looks a sensible move and mirrors the cable consolidation we've seen in the UK.
http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2016/...h-acquisition/
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Old 30-06-2016, 18:36   #9
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

Malone's empire building continues as Lionsgate is to purchase Starz:

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/30/lions...and-stock.html

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/li...se-1201806588/

http://www.wsj.com/articles/lions-ga...eal-1467288777
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Old 30-06-2016, 21:26   #10
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

Rupert Murdochs News Corporation have bought The Wireless Group owner of Talk Sport , didn't Malones Liberty Global have a stake in this ?
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Old 30-06-2016, 21:36   #11
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

The behemoth's get even bigger.
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Old 30-06-2016, 22:19   #12
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

From one of those articles on the Lionsgate deal, here's a interesting little titbit:

"Mr. Malone told The Wall Street Journal last year that Lions Gate, with its attractive Canadian tax domicile, could buy Starz and “potentially other free radicals in the industry” and become a content consolidator."

...
So, yet again, its all about tax with Malone. Curious that the richer you get, the less tax you pay, or in Malone's case, none at all....

...
This article thinks Malone will now merge Discovery in with Lionsgate:

https://www.thestreet.com/story/1362...ry-merger.html

...
Can't provide a link to this Reuters article, so here is most of it which I thought was quite interesting:

BREAKINGVIEWS – Lions Gate – Starz mashup is classic Malone
30-06-2016 22:43

(The authors are Reuters Breakingviews columnists. The opinions expressed are their own.)(Refiles to add link to graphic.)

By Jennifer Saba and Richard Beales

NEW YORK, June 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) – Movie studio Lions Gate's $4.4 billion deal to acquire pay-TV company Starz has media mogul John Malone's fingerprints all over it. A complex structure? Check. New governance-skewing non-voting stock? Yup. More influence for the man known as the Cable Cowboy? You bet. Starz shareholders shouldn't be surprised at the modest premium on offer.

Speculation about a merger began in February 2015 when Malone, best known for Liberty Global and similarly named enterprises, swapped 4.5 percent of Starz stock for 3.4 percent of Lions Gate shares. In the process he gained a seat on the "Hunger Games" studio's board.

Against the backdrop of cable consolidation, the tie-up makes industrial sense. And if Lions Gate could find synergies worth a reasonable-seeming 2.5 percent of combined revenue, or $100 million a year, once taxed and capitalized their value would easily cover the $400 million or so of premium on offer – and more.

However, that's partly because the price isn't generous. Malone controls Starz with 48 percent of the votes thanks to Class B stock that has 10 times the voting power of regular shares. That makes it hard for other shareholders to argue. They'll get cash and Lions Gate stock worth just over $32 a share, a 14 percent premium to where Starz A shares closed on Wednesday.

Lions Gate plans to create a new class of non-voting shares. That's what the regular owners of Starz will get along with their cash. Holders of super-voting Starz shares, like Malone, will receive fewer readies, but half their Lions Gate shares will carry voting rights. (See graphic: http://tmsnrt.rs/298H1BZ) This helps explain why Malone and other central figures look set to land on their feet. Lions Gate Chairman Mark Rachesky owns just over 20 percent of the company. He'll be diluted by the acquisition, but his voting interest will decline only slightly because non-voting shares will go disproportionately to others.

Combine Rachesky's interest in Lions Gate with Malone's and those of Liberty Global and Discovery Communications , and there'll be a near-controlling block wielding more than a third of the votes with barely more than a quarter of all shares, by Breakingviews' reckoning. It's classic Malone to wrap a smart deal in a complicated structure that's good for him.
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Old 04-07-2016, 18:44   #13
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by muppetman11 View Post
Rupert Murdochs News Corporation have bought The Wireless Group owner of Talk Sport , didn't Malones Liberty Global have a stake in this ?
Yes before 2005 - when UTV took over.
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Old 05-07-2016, 01:48   #14
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

Report: Liberty in talks to buy UTV Ireland:

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2016/...y-utv-ireland/
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Old 07-07-2016, 00:48   #15
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Re: John Malone/Liberty/VM General News Thread

....related to Liberty's purchase of UTV Ireland, I think Malone will now go ahead for a full takeover of ITV for one very good reason.....

The pound crashed and is still going down and its now a lot cheaper for Malone to purchase the rest of ITV.

Watch this space, I would expect this to happen "soon" ish...
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