BT flogs satellite broadcast unit
Just one day after splashing out £67m on broadband player PlusNet, BT has agreed to sell its satellite broadcast business to Arqiva for £25m in cash.
On Friday, broadcast network owner Arqiva said it would acquire BT’s Satellite Broadcast Services customer contracts and operations in the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the US.
The unit currently provides both full-time and occasional-use satellite services from six teleports, three of which are in the UK, two in the US and one in France. BT will retain the occasional-use part of the business.
Nick Thompson, managing director of Arqiva’s Satellite Media Solutions division, said: “This acquisition gives us an international footprint with a significant presence in France and the US as well as increasing the scale of our activities in the UK. It will give us improved satellite reach and the ability to serve customers on a world-wide basis.”
