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Nexstar completes Tribune Media deal; Nielsen buys minority stake in OpenSlate

S&P Global Market Intelligence provides a wrap-up of U.S. companies' technology, media and telecommunications deal announcements, completions and updates from Sept. 17 to Sept. 23.

Announcements

* DataDirect Networks Inc. agreed to acquire Western Digital Corp.'s IntelliFlash enterprise storage business. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal is in line with Western Digital's strategy to exit the storage systems, which include IntelliFlash and ActiveScale businesses, in a bid to focus on the data center systems portfolio around its core storage platforms business. The company is considering strategic options for ActiveScale. DataDirect Networks is a privately held storage company, while Western Digital is a data infrastructure company.

Completions

* Facebook Inc. confirmed it acquired Israel-based Servicefriend, an artificial intelligence-based chat-bot startup for customer service, for an undisclosed sum, TechCrunch reported. The acquisition is expected to help the social networking giant's plans for the Calibra digital wallet that it is developing.

* Technology investor Thoma Bravo LLC closed the sale of cloud-based digital supply network Elemica Inc. to French investment firm Eurazeo SE. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

* Nexstar Media Group Inc. completed the acquisition of Tribune Media Co. in an accretive transaction valued at about $7.2 billion, creating the largest pure-play local broadcast television and digital media company in the U.S. The transaction includes the assumption of Tribune Media's outstanding debt. Under the agreement, Nexstar acquired all outstanding shares of Tribune Media for $46.687397 per share in cash.

Nexstar also completed the divestitures of 21 television stations for a total consideration of about $1.33 billion, inclusive of a purchase price adjustment for two Indianapolis stations sold to Circle City Broadcasting I Inc. E.W. Scripps Co. acquired eight television stations in seven markets. Concurrently, TEGNA Inc. completed the previously announced acquisition of substantially all the assets of 11 Nexstar local television stations for $740 million in cash.

* Nielsen Holdings PLC acquired a minority stake in digital video-focused analytics company OpenSlate, for an undisclosed amount. Under the deal, Nielsen will provide equity capital to OpenSlate, which will be used to expand the latter's team and technology. OpenSlate measures and scores more than 600 million ad-supported videos.

* Anju Software Inc. has completed its merger with OmniComm Systems Inc. OmniComm, which provides software solutions to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, became a unit of Anju Software on completion of the agreement. Following the closing, shares of OmniComm were canceled and shareholders have the right to receive 41.032 cents per share, without interest, representing a 58% premium to the closing price on July 15.

Updates

* The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. approved Connect Bidco Ltd.'s acquisition of Inmarsat PLC for $3.4 billion, stating that the deal has no unresolved national security issues. In addition, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Defense do not object to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission approving the deal. The parties remain confident that the deal will be completed during the fourth quarter and stated they will "continue to work constructively" with relevant authorities to meet required conditions. Connect Bidco is a joint venture formed by a consortium that includes private equity firms.

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