LaLiga Santander/Serie A TIM: Orient Hontai (CHN) acquires 53.5% of Imagina Group (Mediapro)

The 53.5% acquisition of the Spanish media group, Imagina Group, the Mediapro audiovisual group's holding company, by the Chinese investment fund Orient Hontai Capital, has been validated by the shareholders of both companies, announced the two companies on 16/02/2018.

The value of the transaction, announced to be €850m on 17/10/2017, has been re-valued at an estimated €1bn and values Imagina Group at €1.9bn. The Spanish investment fund Torreal sells 22.5% of its stake, the Mexican media group Televisa 19% and one of the founders, Gerard Romy, surrenders his 1%. Jaume Roures and Tatxo Benet, the two other co-founders of Imagina, who still own 12%, remain at the head of the company. 

Mediapro was granted the domestic TV rights of the Serie A TIM, as an independent intermediary (see details below), by the Lega Serie A, for the 2018-2021 cycle, on 05/02/2018 (the Competition and Market Authority in Italy has not yet formalised the transaction).

Mediapro has held the majority of the Spanish domestic TV rights for the 2016-2019 cycle (see below), notably via a joint venture in Spain…