Startups clash with watchdog over digital merger regulation March 3, 2020 British startups have been plunged into a bitter war of words with the competition watchdog as the two sides clash over how major tech mergers should be regulated. Industry body the Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec) has penned a scathing letter to chancellor Rishi Sunak warning that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) risked [...]
Huntsworth shares soar as private equity firm agrees £400m takeover March 3, 2020 Shares in healthcare and communications group Huntsworth skyrocketed today after a US-based private equity firm said it has agreed a takeover deal worth roughly £400m. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) today said it would pay 108p in cash per share in Huntsworth, which provides marketing services to healthcare clients. The offer represents a 50 per [...]
Competition watchdog risks ‘killing’ British tech firms, startups warn March 3, 2020 The UK competition watchdog risks “killing” rising British tech companies by launching lengthy investigations while global rivals are free to pull ahead, startups have warned. In a letter to chancellor Rishi Sunak, seen by City A.M., industry body the Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec) said the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) “eleventh-hour interventions” risked [...]
Murdoch’s News UK and Bauer launch digital ad platform Octave Audio March 3, 2020 Commercial radio groups Bauer and Wireless have teamed up to launch a new digital audio advertising platform in a bid to take on rival Global. Octave Audio will allow advertisers to target digital listeners across the two companies’ stations, as well as on-demand catch-up shows. Bauer owns brands including Kiss, Absolute and Magic, while Wireless, [...]
MPs to grill BBC executives amid questions over broadcaster’s future March 3, 2020 Top BBC executives are set to be hauled in front of MPs to face a grilling over their plans for the future as the broadcaster attempts to stave off a string of crises. Outgoing director general Lord Tony Hall and chairman Sir David Clementi will both give evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport [...]
WPP shares rise as it bags bumper Intel account March 3, 2020 Shares in WPP rose more than three per cent this morning after Intel selected one of the ad giant’s companies as its global creative agency of record. VMLY&R is set to take the lion’s share of Intel’s global creative account, which is estimated at $1.4bn (£1.1bn), according to industry sources. The deal, which is thought [...]
Sky confirms Disney Plus deal as it ramps up streaming war chest March 3, 2020 Sky today confirmed it has signed a multi-year deal with Disney Plus to make the nascent streaming service available to its pay-TV customers. The deal means Disney Plus will be fully-integrated on Sky Q, while Now TV subscribers will be able to access the service in the coming months. Disney Plus, which launches in the [...]
Vodafone invests $25m in space-based mobile network March 3, 2020 Vodafone today said it has invested $25m (£19.5m) in a new space-based broadband network designed to provide mobile signal to devices anywhere on the planet. The Space Mobile project, led by Texas-based AST & Science, is developing the first satellite system that will broadcast mobile broadband from space. This will provide mobile users with signal [...]
UK tycoons buy Twickenham Studios as they launch £500m film venture March 2, 2020 Two British tycoons have snapped up Twickenham Studios as part of a £500m project to develop studio space to meet surging demand for new films and TV shows. Piers Read, producer of The Inbetweeners and Peep Show, and Jeremy Rainbird, who launched Bafta-winning production company Merman, have bought the west London studio hub for £50m. [...]
Streaming firm Dazn looks to shake up sports market with UK launch March 2, 2020 Streaming platform Dazn is set to expand to more than 200 countries, including the UK, as it looks to break the stranglehold of traditional broadcasters over sports rights. London-based Dazn, dubbed the “Netflix of sports”, currently operates in nine countries but has yet to break into the UK market, which is dominated by Sky and [...]
