Wednesday 06 July 2016 11:15 AM
Sky TV shareholders back Vodafone deal
By Fiona Rotherham
July 6 (BusinessDesk) - Sky Network Television shareholders have today voted in favour of a proposed merger with
Vodafone New Zealand that will create a media and entertainment provider with combined 2016 revenue of more than $2.9
billion and more than 3.7 million separate mobile and fixed connections and television subscriptions.
At a special meeting in Auckland today, shareholders cast their votes on three resolutions relating to the acquisition
to incur new debt by Sky and issue shares to Vodafone, with 75 percent of the vote required to pass them. Votes cast at
the meeting were overshadowed with 78.61 percent of the Sky TV shares on issue voted by proxy and overwhelmingly in
favour of the merger.
Under the proposal, Sky will purchase Vodafone NZ from its parent company for $3.44 billion, which will be funded by a
payment of $1.25 billion in cash and the issue of new Sky shares at a price of $5.40 per share. Vodafone becomes a 51
percent majority shareholder in Sky, in what amounts to a reverse takeover.
Sky will borrow $1.8 billion from Vodafone to fund the purchase and will have a higher debt post the deal.
Sky TV chairman Peter Macourt said the outcome was “fantastic” and the next step was getting Commerce Commission
clearance which was likely to take up to six months.
He told shareholders the industry was at a crossroads with the internet having permanently changed the way people
consume media and entertainment services.
“To stay ahead of the game, we must find new and innovative ways to deliver our content,” he said.
Sky has said there’s potential for the current triple play offerings – fixed line voice, fixed-line broadband and pay
television services - into a quad-play by adding mobile.
An independent report by Grant Samuel concluded that Sky TV didn’t have an attractive future as a standalone pay-TV
business because it faces increased rivalry and a fundamental deterioration in its strategic position over the long
term. Sky’s earnings have been in decline as it loses subscribers on its dominant satellite TV service and faces higher
content charges because of increased competition from internet-based services such as Netflix. Grant Samuel said the
price and terms of the deal were fair.
Macourt said while Sky had an existing partnership with Vodafone it was difficult with two listed companies to find
common ground to exploit the opportunities in front of them.
Expected savings from the deal, after integration costs, are around $850 million at net present value.
Shareholders have been told they can expect increased dividends from the strong cash flow of the combined group with the
intended payout range equivalent to total declared dividends of between 31.9 cents and 37.5 cents per share for the 2017
financial year.
In the fine print underlying the deal, Sky committed to paying a termination fee of up to $21.5 million to Vodafone if
it doesn’t proceed under certain circumstances specified in the sale and purchase agreement – mainly where a competing
proposal emerges or Sky directors change, withdraw, or modify their recommendations for it or speak out publicly against
it.
Sky shares fell 0.6 percent to $4.75, having gained 4.1 percent so far this year.
(BusinessDesk)
ENDS