iWorld
Halfticket.tv brings MyFrenchFilmFestival 2015 for its Indian viewers
MUMBAI: HalfTicket.tv, a curated Video-on-Demand platform to limitless entertainment is bringing to India the 5th edition of world’s first online French Film Festival, MyFrenchFilmFestival 2015. The festival will be exclusively available for free viewing in India on all connected devices on the web, mobiles and tablets potentially reaching out to over 300 million internet users in the world’s second largest internet market.
Organized by UniFrance Films, this festival will be available to viewers in from January 16 through February 16, 2015. Indian users can also download the specialised app HALFTICKET TV from the Google Play stores for Android devices. Similarly, Apple device users can also get the app via iTunes from the date of the festival.
MyFrenchFilmFestival is an innovative concept, bringing the best of French cinema to Indian cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and cinema lovers. The goal is to showcase the young generation of French filmmakers and enable Internet users to share their love of French cinema.
All the films selected for the 5th edition of the festival will be available with a free access online from 16 January to 16 February 2015.
The selection includes ten French feature films and ten French shorts presented at the festival.
Speaking on giving users from any country free access to the festival, Isabelle Giordano, General Director, Unifrance, said, “Between the 1st and 4th editions of the festival we have seen a fair amount of traffic on from Indian users accessing the festivals site, underlining the interest in French Films among Indian cinema lovers. This time, as we look forward to bringing another round of the best films from new French directors, we wanted to make the festival accessible to internet users across India, and hence tied up with HalfTicket.tv to stream the festival.”
Commenting on streaming MyFrenchFilmFestival in India, Mr. Jagdish Rajpurohit, Founder, HalfTicket.tv said, “The new-age Indian cinema lover wants to experience movies from across the globe. This viewer would love to see new content from French cinema but so far the movies never came to India. With our tie-up to get MyFrenchFilmFestival to India free for Indian users, we aim to begin offering them international movies at their convenience”.
iWorld
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
