Walt Disney Company: acquisition of 42% of BAMTech and launch of an ESPN OTT platform

The Walt Disney Company has acquired 42% of BAMTech, a subsidiary specialised in online video, announced the American media and entertainment group on 07/08/2017. The transaction amount is $1.58bn (€1.34bn). Walt Disney now owns 75% of the group valued at nearly $3.8vb (€3.25bn).

The Walt Disney Company acquired 33% of BAMTech for $1bn (approximately €896m) on 09/08/2016. Walt Disney paid $1bn in two installments: one in August 2016 and a second in January 2017. The entertainment company then had an option to acquire 100% of BAMTech's rights in the next few years. Following this agreement, BAMTech had split with the MLBAM, the media branch of the MLB.

The Walt Disney Company will launch, in 2018, the creation of an OTT platform dedicated to the sports channel ESPN. "It will offer a robust array of sports programming, featuring approximately 10,000 live regional, national, and international games and events a year, including Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, Grand Slam tennis, and college sports. Individual sport packages will also be available for…