UTVi in content tie-up with Disney ABC TV

Unilazer Ltd, the holding company of UTV Software Communications , is picking up a 20 per cent stake in the new English business channel UTVi. The channel would have a strategic content tie-up with Disney ABC International Television (Asia Pacific), the international TV distribution arm of the The Walt Disney Company.

At a press conference, Mr Ronnie Screwvala, Chief Executive, UTV Software, said, “Unilazer may divest 20 per cent of its stake in the new channel to UTV Software in the coming months depending on how soon we get necessary approvals.

No equity partnership

However, the tie-up with ABC News doesn’t involve any equity partnership, and there is no plan to sell a stake in the news channel to ABC News. Ours is, and will remain, a purely content-based partnership. The channel will get launched during the course of this month.”

Mr Marcus Wilford, ABC News’ Vice-President for international digital services, said the content tie-up is for more than five years and would include UTV offering content to ABC News as well.

Taken from Business Line