M7 Group
{{Short description|Luxembourg television provider}}
{{use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Canal+ Luxembourg S.à.r.l.
| logo = M7 Group, a Canal+ Company, logo, 2023.svg
| trade_name = M7 Group
| type = Subsidiary
| predecessors = {{ubl|M7 Group S.A.|UPC DTH S.à.r.l.}}
| industry = Media
| foundation = October 2009
| location = Luxembourg
| area_served = Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Germany
| key_people = Hans Troelstra (CEO)
| services = {{ubl|Pay TV|Satellite television|Terrestrial television|Streaming television|Broadcasting|IPTV}}
| brands = {{ubl|Canal Digitaal|Direct One|Focus Sat|HD Austria|Online.nl|Skylink|Télésat|TV Vlaanderen}}
| revenue = €318.9 million (2018){{Cite web|url=https://www.telecompaper.com/nieuws/m7-group-ziet-omzet-in-2018-met-2-groeien-naar-eur-319-miljoen--1304589|title=M7 Group ziet omzet in 2018 met 2% groeien naar EUR 319 miljoen|website=www.telecompaper.com|language=nl|access-date=2019-09-17}}
| owner =
| parent = Astorg (2014–2019)
Canal+ (2019–present)
| num_employees = 180 {{Cite web|url=https://www.astorg.com/our-investments/m7-group/|title=Our investments - Astorg|website=www.astorg.com|access-date=2019-01-08}}
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.m7group.eu/}}
}}
Canal+ Luxembourg S.à.r.l. (trade name: M7 Group) is a Luxembourg-based television provider owned by the French media conglomerate Canal+.
It operates several direct broadcast satellite pay TV platforms: HD Austria in Austria, Télésat in Belgium and Luxembourg, TV Vlaanderen in the Flanders region in Belgium, Skylink in Czech Republic and Slovakia, Canal Digitaal and Online.nl in the Netherlands, Focus Sat in Romania, and Direct One in Hungary. It also operates a terrestrial pay television platform in Flanders, Belgium, and offers B2B multimedia services.
Groupe Canal+ bought the company in 2019, and M7 has been rebranding some of its services as Canal+ since {{Date|January 29, 2024|dmy}}.
History
The private equity firm Astorg acquired a majority of the company in July 2014 for €350 million via its Fund V from Providence and Airbridge Investments.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/m7-loans-idUSL6N0Q34D920140728|title=RLPC-Astorg acquires majority stake in TV firm M7|date=2014-07-28|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-01-08|language=en}} Providence is a Private Equity investment firm and Airbridge Investments is the holding company of executives Hans Wolfert and Cees Bohnenn.{{Cite web|url=https://dutchmedia.nl/blog/index.php/2007/02/22/providence-koopt-meerderheid-holding-canal-digitaal-bv-2/|title=Providence koopt meerderheid holding Canal Digitaal BV {{!}} DutchMedia Blog 2003-2012|date=22 February 2007 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-07}} In December 2017, the company became fully owned by Astorg. The exit of minority shareholders took place at the time of a €570 million debt refinancing which allowed to pay a dividend of €175 million to the former shareholders.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-m7-leveraged-loans-idUSKBN1EF1MG|title=M7 closes €570 million dividend recap|date=2017-12-21|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-01-07|language=en}}
On 30 July 2014, its subsidiary M7 Deutschland bought the German B2B satellite platform Kabelkiosk from Eutelsat.{{cite news|url=http://www.digitaltveurope.net/182722/m7-deutschland-buys-kabelkiosk-from-eutelsat|title=M7 Deutschland buys KabelKiosk from Eutelsat|date=2014-05-20|work=BroadbandTV News}}
In 2016, M7 Group closed the Hungarian satellite platform Hello HD.
In December 2018, the company announced the purchase of Liberty Global's satellite operations located in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania for €180 million.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-m7-liberty-global-m-a-idUSKCN1OK0S7|title=Liberty Global to sell Eastern Europe DTH operations to M7|date=2018-12-21|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-01-07|language=en}} This sale was processed after necessary permissions, in spring 2019.{{Cite news|url=
https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2019/04/15/m7-wins-upc-dth-takeover-approval/|title=M7 wins UPC DTH takeover approval|date=2019-04-15|work=BroadbandTV News|access-date=2019-09-17|language=en}} Freesat platform acquired in the Czech Republic and Slovakia has been integrated into Skylink.
On 28 May 2019, it was announced that Vivendi's Canal+ Group would acquire M7 Group for 1.1 billion €.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-m7-m-a-vivendi/vivendis-canal-plus-to-buy-m7-for-1-billion-euros-to-expand-its-european-reach-idUSKCN1SX1L7|title=Vivendi's Canal Plus to buy M7 for 1 billion euros to expand its European reach|website=www.reuters.com|language=en|access-date=2019-09-17}} The sale was effectuated on 12 September 2019 after the European Commission gave its permission.{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/case_details.cfm?proc_code=2_M_9416|title=Merger Cases M.9416 Vivendi - BOLLORE GROUP M7 GROUP|date=2019-09-05|website=www.europe.eu|access-date=2019-01-08}}
M7 Group announced that Diveo, the German satellite platform which was launched in February 2018, will be closed on 30 November 2019. In July 2020, M7 Group S.A. merged with UPC DTH S.à.r.l. and changed its official name into Canal+ Luxembourg S.à.r.l. The M7 brand name remains in use with the "A Canal+ Group company" tagline.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}
Groupe Canal+ bought the company in 2019, although retains its own name.{{cite web | title=CANAL+ International | website=CANAL+ Group | date=31 December 2023 | url=https://www.canalplusgroup.com/en/group/canal-international | access-date=16 May 2024}} M7 has been rebranding as Canal+ from {{Date|January 29, 2024|dmy}}.{{Cite web |last=Priestley |first=Jenny |date=2023-12-04 |title=Canal+ Group expands European streaming footprint |url=https://www.tvbeurope.com/media-delivery/canal-group-expands-european-streaming-footprint |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=TVBEurope |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=CANAL+ IS COMING TO THE NETHERLANDS WITH A NEW STREAMING PLATFORM {{!}} M7 Group |url=https://www.m7group.eu/newsroom/articles/canalplus-is-coming-to-the-netherlands-with-a-new-streaming-platform/ |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=www.m7group.eu}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.m7group.eu/}}
{{Groupe Canal Plus}}
{{CATV Europe}}
{{Television in Europe}}
{{Television in Belgium}}
Category:Direct broadcast satellite services
Category:Television in Austria
Category:Television in Belgium
Category:Television in the Czech Republic
Category:Television in Hungary
Category:Television in the Netherlands
Category:Television in Romania
Category:Television in Slovakia