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Electronic Arts Signs 15-Year License Agreement With ESPN

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 18, 2005 - 8:29am.
Redwood City, Calif. -- Video game publisher Electronic Arts announced that it has signed a 15-year deal with sports TV network ESPN that gives it the exclusive rights to use ESPN branding and announcers in its video games. The deal, whose financial details were not disclosed, is another blow to rival sports game developers Sega and Take-Two Interactive, which previously held the ESPN license. In December, EA also signed a five-year deal with the NFL giving it exclusive rights to use official NFL players, teams and venues for its popular "Madden NFL" game franchise. Redwood City, Calif.-based Electronic Arts also recently purchased a 20% stake in rival European video game publisher Ubisoft Entertainment, a move that Ubisoft chairman Yves Guillemot has labeled as "hostile." For its part, Electronic Arts has said it considers the share purchase an "investment."
tags: ESPN | Deal | Electronic Arts |

Blockbuster Reaffirms Interest in Acquiring Hollywood Entertainment

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 18, 2005 - 8:27am.
Dallas -- Video rental giant Blockbuster announced on Tuesday that it remains committed to pursuing an acquisition of Hollywood Entertainment, the nation's second-largest movie rental chain, in spite of Hollywood's recent announcement that it has agreed to merge with third-largest rental chain Movie Gallery. Blockbuster initially offered $11.50 per share for Hollywood, a bid that was rejected in favor of Alabama-based Movie Gallery's offer of $13.25 per share, or a total of $850 million. "We are disappointed that the special committee of Hollywood's board of directors elected to enter into a merger agreement with Movie Gallery without giving Blockbuster a fair opportunity to participate in the auction process," said Blockbuster CEO John Antioco. Blockbuster also indicated that it received a request for addition information from the Federal Trade Commission regarding its previous offer for Hollywood Entertainment, and said it expects the FTC's review process to be completed by the end of February.
tags: Acquire | Blockbuster | Hollywood Entertainment | Reaffirms Interest |

XM Satellite Radio Acquires Mobile Live Music Recording Firm Effanel

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 18, 2005 - 8:25am.
Washington -- XM Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered digital radio programming, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Effanel Music Inc., a provider of remote and mobile recording services for live music. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. New York-based Effanel has been contracted to produce live broadcasts of performances at The Grammys and MTV Video Music Awards, and partnered with XM to broadcast the Vote for Change Finale Concert. "Bringing Effanel into the XM family is a strategic fit because live content plays such a central role in XM's programming," said XM president and CEO Hugh Panero. "With Effanel, XM now has a built-in mobile recording and broadcast division that enables us to air -- in digital sound -- live music, sports and entertainment events from anywhere in the world."
tags: XM Satellite | Radio Acquires | Mobile Live Music Recording | Effanel |

Media Lab Founded by Ireland and MIT to Close Doors

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 18, 2005 - 8:23am.
Dublin -- Media Lab Europe, an Ireland-based research facility founded by the Irish government and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), recently announced that it will shut down due to financial difficulties. The lab said it made the decision after failing to raise another $13 million from the Government, which has already poured more than $45.6 million into the project. In the past, the lab has relied investment from both the public and private sectors, securing millions of euro from the likes of Orange, Eircom, AOL and Ericsson. It was hoped that the lab would be eventually become self-sustaining using revenue from patents and licenses, but financial support has dwindled. Industry experts say the news could strike a serious blow to Ireland's efforts to attract more technology investment, as the lab, established five years ago to promote Irish research, had been set to become the centerpiece of the capital's digital hub business zone.
tags: Ireland | Media Lab | MIT | Close Doors |

Motorola Acquires Home Networking Software Developer Ucentric

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 18, 2005 - 8:22am.
Horsham, Pa. -- Motorola, an Illinois-based maker of cell phones, set-top boxes for digital TV and other electronics, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Ucentric Systems, a provider of home networking software for media devices. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Massachusetts-based Ucentric's software allows digital entertainment stored on a digital video recorder, PC hard drive or laptop to be accessed from any connected device in the home. Motorola said it will actively market Ucentric's software to third party service providers and consumer electronics manufacturers, in addition to offering it as part of its Home Media Architecture for digital set-top boxes.
tags: Motorola | Acquires | Home Networking Software Developer | Ucentric |

Electronic Arts Waives Condition for Acquisition of Swedish Developer DICE

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 18, 2005 - 8:20am.
Redwood City, Calif. -- Video game publisher Electronic Arts announced that it has removed a potential hurdle from its acquisition of Swedish developer Digital Illusions (DICE) by deciding to waive a stipulation that it own more than half of the company's outstanding shares. Now, EA will acquire all the shares tendered in the offer, regardless of the percentage. The company's current tender offer will end on Jan. 20, and EA said that it doesn't plan to extend it any further. DICE and EA have had a close working relationship since 2002 when EA began publishing and distributing DICE games. In 2003 EA invested in DICE, acquiring roughly 19% of DICE's shares.
tags: Electronic Arts | Acquisition | Swedish Developer DICE | Waives |

Motorola Invests Another $7.5 Million in Hong Kong Set-top Box Maker DVN

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 18, 2005 - 8:19am.
Hong Kong -- DVN Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong-based maker of digital TV set-top boxes and middleware, announced on Tuesday that it has received an additional $7.5 million investment from a subsidiary of Illinois-based Motorola. DVN received a previous investment of $7.5 million from Motorola in June, 2004, and the company has an option to invest an additional $18 million. The proceeds will be used for research and development for application software and services, and for working capital. DVN expects its set-top box sales to grow, as the Chinese government has announced plans to migrate 30 million of the country's 100 million cable subscribers to digital within the next several years, with the analog service to be completely cut off by 2015.
tags: Motorola | Hong Kong | Invests | Set-top Box Maker DVN |