The Switch acquired by Tata Communications

Tata Communications has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire The Switch, a end-to-end live video production and transmissions services provider. The deal will give Tata reach to over 190 countries and territories and a stronger foothold in America’s media and entertainment market.

The cash-only deal is valued at approximately US $58.8 million and is expected to close pending regulatory approvals.

Tata’s clients include MotoGP, DP World Tour, World Rally Championship and a variety of other international broadcasters and sporting leagues.

“Our combined forces of The Switch’s strong presence in North America and Tata Communications’ global position will create a formidable powerhouse in the global media ecosystem helping enterprises harness emerging digital consumption patterns to drive innovation and disruption. In addition, The Switch production infrastructure as a service model will allow Tata Communications customers to accelerate adoption of remote production from any event around the world,” said Tri Pham, chief strategy officer, Tata Communications.

“The team at The Switch has worked hard creating a market leading live production and transmission offering in the US and beyond. We are extremely proud of our achievements and the trust that Tier 1 media companies place in our services. As the media industry evolves, The Switch has an ever larger role to play in the future of live sports and entertainment and in helping our customers maximise their lucrative content. With Tata Communications we will accelerate this journey providing stability, investment and vision in support of future growth. I am excited for the future of The Switch and the opportunities that this brings to our team and customers,” said Eric Cooney, president & CEO, The Switch.

“The global media & entertainment industry is at a once-in-a-generation digital transformation driven by a fundamental change in consumer consumption behaviours. Tata Communications is already helping some of the largest global sports federations, broadcasters and OTT platforms manage this disruption through our next generation digital media platform. With The Switch team, we will now be able to develop holistic, scalable solutions encompassing live and scheduled programming for television, leveraging pre-recorded and filed videos for new content creation as well as all post-production. The Switch and Tata Communications teams, together will help the industry evolve to the next level of at-venue and at-home fan engagement,” said Dhaval Ponda, global head of Media & Entertainment Business, Tata Communications.

On completion of the transaction, The Switch will join the Media and Entertainment Services (MES) business of Tata Communications under Dhaval Ponda.

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