TOP NEWS
* Luxembourg-based RTL Group eyes to increase its investments on video-on-demand services, particularly in local and exclusive content, Digital TV Europe reports, citing CEO Bert Habets. The company also plans to transform its video-on-demand services into a hybrid platform, wherein it will offer a free service, which will be financed through advertisements, as well as a subscription-based service.
* Hybrid broadcast broadband TV service LOVEStv, jointly created by Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, Atresmedia and Mediaset SpA's Mediaset España, will go live June 14, Advanced Television reports. The free-to-air platform is expected to eventually become an over-the-top service that will on the likes of Netflix and Time Warner Inc.'s HBO, according to the report.
* France media conglomerate Vivendi SA welcomed tougher rules for competing at the Cannes Film Festival as a way of balancing the playing field between traditional and online media players such as Netflix Inc.
UK AND IRELAND
* Data analytics company Cambridge Analytica LLC has filed for voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy at a New York court, about two months after a scandal emerged over misuse of Facebook Inc. user data, Reuters reports. The company reportedly listed assets ranging from $100,001 to $500,000 and liabilities ranging from $1 million to $10 million.
* Apple Inc. deposited the first tranche of €1.5 billion into a Dublin escrow account set up to hold about €13 billion in disputed taxes. The payment was confirmed by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe on behalf of the Irish government.
* Sky PLC will unveil a London technology hub to develop products in areas including virtual reality, according to London's The Daily Telegraph. The 70,000-square-foot facility, the company's third hub, will accommodate engineers and software who will work on these products.
* The British government will create laws tackling harmful use of the internet, such as cyberbullying and online child sexual exploitation. The government will collaborate with tech companies and other stakeholders in drafting the legislation.
* Meanwhile, the U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office will be provided with the authority to access Facebook's source code to ensure its compliance with the new data protection laws, London's The Daily Telegraph reports. The new powers will take effect May 25.
* Netgem SA has introduced SoundBox HD direct in the U.K. market by selling it through Amazon.com Inc.'s Amazon Prime, Digital TV Europe reports. The all-in-one smart soundbar and TV box will be sold on the e-commerce platform for £249, which will include a one-year subscription to Amazon Prime.
GERMANY, SWITZERLAND AND AUSTRIA
* More than 15 companies, including Daimler AG, Volkswagen AG, Siemens AG and BASF AG, have signalled their interest in being awarded local and regional frequencies for the new 5G mobile standards in Germany, reports Handelsblatt, citing a letter by the Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie to the German Bundesnetzagentur.
* German semiconductor company Infineon Technologies AG will invest about €1.6 billion over the next six years to build an automated chip factory for manufacturing 300-millimeter thin wafers in Austria.
* German media group FUNKE MEDIENGRUPPE GmbH & Co. KGaA has changed the management structure of its regional media teams. It announced Christine Richter as editor-in-chief of German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost and Carsten Erdmann as editor-in-chief online of Funke Zentralredaktion.
* German federal cyber agency BSI urged chip and hardware makers to tackle the new Spectre-Next Generation flaws, which were discovered in central processing units of computers, Reuters reports, citing a statement. Such bugs could allow cyber attackers to access passwords, encryption keys and other personal data.
FRANCE
* Altice NV shareholders approved the proposed separation of Altice USA Inc. from the company at an annual general meeting. The separation is to be effected by a special distribution in kind by Altice of its 67.2% stake in Altice USA to Altice NV shareholders out of Altice NV's share premium reserve.
* French telecom watchdog ARCEP released a draft decision on its proposed changes to the national numbering framework, Telecompaper reports. The proposed includes new measures that will shield consumers from fraud and malicious spoofing, as well as maximum caps of €3 per call and 80 euro cents per minute for directory inquiry services.
NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG
* China could grant approval to U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm Inc.'s $44 billion takeover of Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductors NV, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing a Beijing official. Eight of the nine required global regulators have approved the deal with only the Chinese Ministry of Commerce's approval pending, Reuters reports, citing sources.
* Talpa Holding NV's Talpa Network has extended its contract with UEFA for the broadcasting rights of the Champions League. The renewal means that also for the next three years, the Champions League will be available on Talpa's TV channel Veronica.
* Proximus will set up three official leagues with strategic partners such as Electronic Sports League and the Pro League and bring e-sports content on its platforms and by sponsoring existing local competitions. As part of Proximus' strategic agreements, the Belgian operator and ESL are collaborating for the launch of "ESL Proximus Championships."
* Frisian regional broadcaster Omrop Fryslân will resume broadcasts to all subscribers of KPN NV in the Netherlands on July 1. The regional broadcaster said it will pay the €20,000 yearly broadcasting rights to KPN to be shown in the whole country.
NORDIC COUNTRIES
* iZettle AB's owners will net a big win in PayPal Holdings Inc.'s 19 billion Swedish kronor takeover, writes Affärsvärlden. State-owned Första and Fjärde AP-funds paid 196 million Swedish kronor for a 2.2% stake in Izettle in 2017. The value of this stake has doubled to 418 million kronor.
* Nordic digital payments company Vipps AS has launched a new VippsGo service in Norway, writes e24.no. The new mobile technology solution will enable Vipp users to browse menus, select food, submit orders and pay restaurant bills using their smartphone.
SOUTHERN EUROPE
* Enel SpA's wholesale fiber broadband unit Enel Open Fiber SPA and Italian state lender Cassa depositi e prestiti SpA will spend about €16 million to build a fiber-optic network in the southern Italian city of Foggia, as part of an agreement with the city council, Telecompaper reports.
* For the first time, Spanish data protection watchdog AEPD imposed a €2,000 fine on a WhatsApp Inc. user in La Font de la Figuera, Valencia, for violating personal data regulations, Telecompaper reports, citing a statement. The WhatsApp user filmed a police officer intervening in a gender violence case and shared the video with his contacts.
EASTERN EUROPE
* Slovak Telekom rolled out Magio Kino, a Netflix-type platform that offers content from AXN Now, Viasat and kids channel Tuki TV to registered customers of the Magio TV service, Broadband TV News reports, citing Medialne.
* An Ultra HD channel operated by Polish public broadcaster Telewizja Polska SA has secured a satellite license from the country's National Broadcasting Council, or KRRiT, Broadband TV News reports. The channel, which will be launched during the FIFA World Cup in Russia, will offer sports, films and entertainment.
* Telia Co. AB is planning to hire up to 400 IT professionals in its service center in Vilnius, Lithuania, which will be set up this year, Telecompaper reports, citing Vz.lt.
FEATURED NEWS
Data Dispatch: Acquiring iZettle could be tip of PayPal's M&A iceberg: PayPal struck its largest acquisition ever with a $2.2 billion deal to acquire Swedish company iZettle, solidifying its entrance into the growing business of servicing in-store purchases.
FEATURED RESEARCH
Global Multichannel: Comcast bids up on Sky, recognizing unmissable opportunity: The latest Comcast maneuver suggests it identifies Sky as a perfect horizontal acquisition target.
Consumer Insights: 2018 Sweden survey summary report: Holding on to traditional TV viewing behavior: A Consumer Insights survey in Sweden found that consumers who watch predominantly linear TV, along with some online subscription video content spend more time watching TV each day than those who watch higher levels of on-demand video content.
RECENT EARNINGS
Singtel fiscal Q4 profit down 19% YOY on forex, lower associate contributions: Singtel's fiscal fourth-quarter net profit fell 19% to S$781 million from S$963 million a year earlier, due to weaker associate results, adverse currency movements and lower National Broadband Network revenue.
Anne Freier, Charlotte van Hek and Gerard O'Dwyer contributed to this report.
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