SES Acquires Israeli RR Media For $242M

February 28, 2016 | German media company SES Platform Services is acquiring Israeli digital media services provider RR Media for $242 million. SES PS will pay a 52% premium on RR Media’s closing price on the NASDAQ Friday, or $13.291 per share for a 100% stake of the Lod-based media company. Founded in 1981 and run by CEO Avi Cohen, RR Media provides scalable, digital media services to more than 1,000 media companies globally including the BBC, Disney, Fox, NFL, and Viacom. RR Media’s content spans broadcast, online video, video on demand, premium sports and live events, including the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is a major boost for Rapac Communication and Infrastructure, which holds a 34 percent stake in RR Media and Viola Private Equity, which has a 29 percent stake. Upon completion of the transaction, expected before the end of the third quarter of 2016, RR Media and SES PS will be combined to create a new, stand-alone media services provider that will focus on offering its customers highly optimized content management and distribution solutions leveraging the two companies’ multiple satellite positions as well as large fiber optic networks.