Unidad Editorial puts its two DTT signals on sale for 50 million euros

The group Editorial Unit, owner of The World, Brand and Expansion, has been negotiating the sale of its licenses for several weeks TDT for an amount close to 50 million euros, as has been confirmed Invertia with various sources close to these conversations.

A Editorial Unit They have four years of these concessions left (most of them expire in 2025), so they want to close the sale as soon as possible, given the possibility that the signals lose market value as this term approaches and uncertainty grows regarding a eventual renewal.

These same sources indicate that the negotiations are being carried out by several bands and that, in them, it is directly involved Urbano Cairo, CEO and President of RCS, matrix of Editorial Unit.

“All negotiations are in the hands of Italy, nothing is going through Spain“indicate the sources consulted by this newspaper. In fact, the newspaper itself Cairo He was last week in Madrid with Marco Pompignoli, CEO of Spain, to try to close the fringes, although he could not close any agreement.

Editorial Unit has two assigned channels grouped under the umbrella of I watch TV, although after the impossibility of being able to make them profitable from their own management, they decided a decade ago to rent their frequencies to different companies.

Plácet de Moncloa

Currently, one of the frequencies is leased to Gol TV, from Mediapro, and the other, to Discovery Network, what emits DMax. Between the two they contribute to the Editorial Unit about seven million euros per year (28 million until 2025) in a contract for the assignment of the channel’s production.

In this operation, the tenants assume all the expenses in making the grid, in salaries and operating costs, in addition to the six million rent of the spectrum to Cellnex, while Editorial Unit just enter the rent money.

However, the sources consulted indicate that it will not be easy to sell these licenses. In the first place, there are not many investors who want to put 50 million on the table to keep two free TV licenses and, secondly, any movement of this type should have the pleasure of Moncloa.

We are talking about public concessions that have an expiration date and that are subject to a series of conditions. The first, that their successful bidders do not try to profit from them.

In this case, the sources consulted indicate that Urban Cairo is already moving token with Moncloa so that the sale is authorized once it is completed. We are facing a decision that corresponds only to the president of Government, Pedro Sánchez, and that it would require a special authorization from the Minister council.

Blackstone demand

Why do you sell Editorial Unit? RCS Mediagroup it is going through some financial straits. The company faces a lawsuit for Blackstone of 600 million euros, and the 50 million that are entered by the sale of its televisions in Spain, are a good financial lifeline.

Blackstone brought to court the dispute maintained by the owner of the publisher of The World and Corriere della Sera, alleging that its CEO and largest shareholder, Urbano Cairo, tried to extort money from him by falsely claiming that the company continues to be the owner of the building where its headquarters are located.

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