GECs
Thomson forays into IPTV with TBM acquisition
MUMBAI: French electronic vendor Thomson has announced an agreement to acquire the Thales Broadcast & Multimedia (TBM) business unit, which provides IPTV services (TV services over Internet Protocol), video-on-demand, mobile TV, and designs digital TV and radio broadcasting systems and equipment.
The purchase price for TBM in cash is approximately EUR 130 million, based on a normalized level of working capital requirement and no net financial indebtness. Total TBM sales for the twelve months to 30 June 2005, were EUR134.9 million, and the unit was profitable.
Taking into account the synergies, the purchase will have a neutral impact on core business earnings in the first year and be accretive thereafter. Overall, the business meets Thomson’s acquisition criteria, states an official release.
Together with the announcement earlier this month that Thomson intends to acquire Canopus Co, Ltd, a Japan-based leader in high-definition desktop video-editing software, the transaction announced today completes Thomson’s external initiatives linked to its Grass Valley Broadcast & Networks business.
This agreement with Thales supports key elements of the plan, which identifies electronic content distribution and the acceleration of the delivery of IP-based technologies as key growth drivers. The agreement also fits Thomson’s strategic objective of broadening its client base.
In addition, the expected integration of TBM into Thomson will bring significant synergies in terms of technologies, customers, and operations. TBM’s offerings combined with Thomson’s systems and equipment, along with it’s worldwide sales and marketing assets, will create sizeable cross-selling opportunities and foster strong relationships with common media and entertainment customers.
Through this agreement, Thomson will be able to provide cellular operators with a complete set of mobile TV solutions, from content creation to delivery-but using terrestrial television technologies that are more suited for video than cellular infrastructures.
The acquisition of TBM also puts Thomson at the center of the IPTV market, enabling it to offer everything from the software and distribution infrastructure that deliver live programming and VOD services to the set-top boxes through which users access that content.
In terms of terrestrial transmission systems and technology, TBM enjoys significant market share worldwide. With a broader range of products, Thomson will also be able to address the short-term opportunities created by the switch-off of analog TV in several major countries, which will boost demand for extension of digital terrestrial transmission (DTT), and associated transmitters, head-end equipment, and set-top-boxes.
TBM also provides data servers and advanced compression schemes for interactive applications and broadcast content regionalization such as ad and logo insertions.
IPTV services are expected to increase at a brisk pace in the coming years. Today, broadband services are available to more than 100 million households worldwide. Many of the world’s telecommunications providers are exploring IPTV as a new revenue opportunity for their existing markets.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
