[michael21]

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/b...contentID=2298

Discovery Communications and BSkyB are poised to announce a £350m deal to acquire Channel 5 from Richard Desmond’s Northern & Shell, Broadcast understands.

It is thought that the deal was agreed in principle last week and closed yesterday, Monday 14 April.

Full details are not known, but Discovery is thought to have a 70% share of the deal with BSkyB taking the remaining 30% share, allowing it to add C5’s advertising inventory to its own sales operation.

The deal will mark a significant step for US media giant Discovery, which has been keen to ramp up both its international portfolio and its exposure to free-to-air broadcasting in key markets.

The joint Discovery and BSkyB bid has been the favourite since Broadcast revealed that around 20 parties were interested in submitting bids in March.

MTV-owner Viacom and Scandinavian media firm Modern Times Group were the dark horses, and there was also talk that Desmond could pull the sale process or look to float C5 if a deal was not agreed.

Desmond bought C5 from RTL in 2010 for £104m. While he was reportedly hoping to attract bids of closer to £600m, he will be happy to have tripled his money in less than four years.

The acquisition is the most significant deal in the UK free-to-air market since the launch of C5 in 1997.

The deal, which will still be subject to regulatory sign-off, will likely have a massive impact on the channel’s programming budget, with some sources suggesting that it will be more than doubled.

Discovery declined to comment.

i bring you all the big news

[King Gizzard]

350m? Christ that's a lot for a channel like that

[michael21]

Originally Posted by Nathan

350m? Christ that's a lot for a channel like that

yea i think the channel going to charges a lot now

[King Gizzard]

Bye bye BB

[michael21]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Bye bye BB

programming budget, with some sources suggesting that it will be more than doubled.

there have more than money if they decide to keep it or bb could go to one of the itv channels

[King Gizzard]

Looks like they'll just go full on documentaries though by the sounds of it

[michael21]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Looks like they'll just go full on documentaries though by the sounds of it

hope not

[JohnnyBB]

Dirty des sells up an leaves us all in the lurch, well if the new owners dont get bb, i predict a loss of revenue for sky and discorvery.

[Pete.]

praying for an amazing bb

[michael21]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBB

Dirty des sells up an leaves us all in the lurch, well if the new owners dont get bb, i predict a loss of revenue for sky and discorvery.

i think bb will be safe as it does well

[Samm]

Although Desmond is thought to fund BB from its own cash pot

.

[Jack_]

Well an increased budget could surely mean good things for people that are fans of things like the live feed. Then again they may not renew Big Brother at all

[King Gizzard]

Wasn't BB bought by Des largely to promote the Daily Star and vice versa

Not sure they'll see much use for it now

[Samm]

I don't think they will axe there biggest show

[Matt]

This actually could be a positive thing for Big Brother. It's widely reported that Sky's main involvement with this deal is advertising sales, and if they only have a 30% stake then that probably means Discovery will be responsible for programming decisions.

Discovery owns the channel that broadcasts Big Brother in Denmark, and by a weird coincidence, today a Discovery-owned channel in Norway has just announced that they'll be reviving the local version of Big Brother, so they have got experience with the format and a relationship with Endemol...

[Jordan.]

They need to keep BB but move away from all the other trashy celeb shows

-side eye celebrity wedding planner-

[Samm]

Originally Posted by Jordan.

They need to keep BB but move away from all the other trashy celeb shows

-side eye celebrity wedding planner-

Agree with this

Also Summer CBB needs to go

[zakman440]

Hope this is good for BB, let's hope for the axe of summer CBB.

[erinp5]

News
Discovery, Sky about to announce Channel 5 deal?
Posted on April 15 2014 at 04:05pm by Matt Scott
Discovery, Sky about to announce Channel 5 deal?

Discovery Communications and BSkyB are on the verge of confirming a £350million deal to buy Big Brother broadcaster Channel 5 from Richard Desmond, it is claimed.

Industry magazine Broadcast suggests that Desmond will push ahead with the sale after the deadline for final bids expired yesterday.

The two media giants’ joint venture remains the favourite in the race, with Discovery believed to have a 70% stake – while Sky’s 30% will enable them to take over C5′s advertising sales, as previously reported.

Their £350million offer is half of Desmond’s £700m asking price, but more than three times the £103.5m he purchased C5 for in 2010. It also tops the £300m mark that analysts expected bids to fall under.

Discovery declined to comment, but a Channel 5 spokesperson was keen to point out that an agreement – which would be subject to regulatory approval – has not been finalised.

“We have a number of bids as expected, which we will evaluate with our advisors over the next few days,” they commented. “Certainly no deal has been done.”

> Channel 5 sale: What does it mean for Big Brother? Click here to read our feature

Meanwhile, there is still no indication of what will happen to Big Brother when its current C5 deal expires later this year, despite recent speculation that ITV and its former home Channel 4 may be interested in acquiring the rights to the show.

Although Desmond is thought to fund BB from its own cash pot, sources have suggested that Discovery is planning to increase C5′s main programming budget by more than double.

Big Brother returns in June for its fifteenth civilian and fourteenth Celebrity series.

Read more: http://www.bbspy.co.uk/bb15/news/041...#ixzz2yypzYPaA

[Rob!]

What does this mean for the show? :/

[Scarlett.]

Fingers crossed C5 actually improves, its been in the dumps for years, it's hard to remember when it was Five.

[JohnnyBB]

The good thing about sky and discovery is the channel wont be corney now professional broadcasters have hold of it hopefully the axe 5usa ect save money in places.

[Headie]

Originally Posted by Matt

This actually could be a positive thing for Big Brother. It's widely reported that Sky's main involvement with this deal is advertising sales, and if they only have a 30% stake then that probably means Discovery will be responsible for programming decisions.

Discovery owns the channel that broadcasts Big Brother in Denmark, and by a weird coincidence, today a Discovery-owned channel in Norway has just announced that they'll be reviving the local version of Big Brother, so they have got experience with the format and a relationship with Endemol...

This is good news.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Looks like they'll just go full on documentaries though by the sounds of it

well BB is a documentary, sort of...

Discovery Channel does Mythbusters right? I love Mythbusters.

[Glenn.]

Is this actually confirmed? The title suggests it is.