Digicel acquires ownership of sports broadcasters

Digicel has acquired majority ownership and control of the St Lucia-based International Media Content Ltd (IMC), parent company of regional sports broadcaster SportsMax, and North American broadcaster CEEN-TV.{{more}}

The sum of the deal which was announced on Thursday, September 18 was not disclosed.

Under the terms of the deal, the founder and a number of the lead principals will continue to have an ownership stake and be involved in the day-to-day running of the IMC operation.

Currently available in 23 countries across the Caribbean, SportsMax is the Caribbean’s first and only indigenous 24-hour dedicated sports cable channel, featuring a strong mix of international, regional and local sports content.

It is viewed extensively in St Vincent and is offered by cable provider Flow. Its large inventory of content includes the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, West Indies cricket, the Indian Premier League and the IAAF Grand Prix.

IMC has been responsible for the broadcast of major international events, such as the FIFA World Cup tournaments, since 2006, including this summer’s event, and the 2012 London Olympics.

In 2013, SportsMax launched its 24-hour Spanish language channel, CDN SportsMax, in the Dominican Republic, which includes similar content as SportsMax plus Major League Baseball.

Ranked as the number one viewed sports channel in the region, the move to acquire IMC/SportsMax comes hot on the heels of Digicel’s entry into the cable TV market, with recent acquisitions in Anguilla, Dominica, Jamaica, Montserrat, Nevis and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Commenting on the acquisition, Digicel Group CEO Colm Delves said, “as a complete communications solutions provider, it’s all about ensuring our customers enjoy access to the best multimedia content on the best devices via the very best network and that we meet all of their communication, entertainment and networking needs. SportsMax represents the perfect blend of sports entertainment and infotainment with a Caribbean flavour and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the team to the Digicel family.”

Patrick Rousseau, chair of IMC and SportsMax, commented, “our commitment to excellence and blazing a trail across the region mirrors Digicel’s own commitment to delivering the very best for its customers. We are delighted to be joining with them and working together to continue delivering the best sports on television and growing our audience and reach across the Caribbean and North America.”

Digicel SVG Limited’s Marketing manager Juno DeRoche said that SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.

SportsMax is transmitted regionally to 23 countries through cable operators in the Caribbean.