NBC Universal 3.5 billion U.S. dollars acquisition of landmark Weather Channel

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NBC Universal announced on the 6th, will join Blackstone Group and Bain Capital two private equity funds jointly acquired Landmark Communications's Weather Channel.

NBC Universal has not announced the specific amount of the deal, but according to informed sources, the purchase price for the 3.5 billion U.S. dollars in cash. It is reported that 97 percent of the U.S. cable television subscribers can watch the Weather Channel.

In addition to weather channels, this purchase deal also includes some of its assets, such as newspapers and radio stations to provide meteorological services, meteorological and popular website Weather.com. Last month, Time Warner to abandon the bid, General Electric's NBC Universal as the weather channel, the only bid. Earlier, CBS and Comcast have also interested in the acquisition channels. 2004, NBC has launched called "NBC Weather Plus" the number of meteorological services, from NBC and its subsidiary jointly owned TV stations. Therefore, the acquisition of the frequency fair and reasonable weather.

NBC and landmark said in a statement, M & A weather channel will serve as an independent entity based in Atlanta continue to operate. At present, the transaction still requires regulatory approvals, but is expected to be completed before the end. Deutsche Bank, General Electric Business Financial Group, the hedge fund GSO Capital Partners and Bain Capital's debt investment subsidiary of Sankaty Advisors to provide debt financing for the transaction. Landmark is a privately held media company, announced the sale in January of this year's weather channel.

The Weather Channel, founded in 1982, has 1,300 employees and annual revenue amounted to 550 million U.S. dollars, on an independent users to 37 million visits to the United States one of 15 major sites.