Walt Disney picks 15% stake in UTV Software’s arm for Rs 118 crore
The Walt Disney Company has finally completed an investment of Rs 118 crore, for picking a 15% stake in UTV Global Broadcasting (UGBL), the broadcasting arm of UTV Software Communications.
Under the arrangement, UGBL has allocated 3,00,000 equity shares to The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) Pte Ltd. Earlier, Disney had raised its stake in UTV Software Communications to 32% from 14%
Apart from this, UGBL has also allotted 15 lakh equity shares of Rs 10 each, making it subsidiary of UTV Software.
In February 2008, UTV Software had announced that Walt Disney would pick up 32.1% stake in UTV Software Communications and 15% stake in the UGBL.
UTV Software Communications is the majority owner of UGBL with a 75%, and the remaining 10% is held by the company's founder and CEO, Ronnie Screwvala.
UGBL has two wholly owned subsidiaries, Genx Entertainment Ltd ("Genx") and UTV Entertainment Television Ltd ("UETL").
Genx has already launched two youth channels through the Bindass brand whilst UETL has launched the "World Movies channel" and "UTV Movies channel".