Who is Orient Hontai Capital, the Chinese group that is finalizing the purchase of Mediapro?

The Chinese group, a subsidiary of Orient Securities, has invested since 2014 in information technology, video game and media companies. Now, he has set his sights on Mediapro.

The most likely takeover of You're welcome (group resulting from the merger in 2006 of Mediapro y Globomedia) by Orient Hontai Capital It is on everyone's lips these days. Although it is still speculation, it seems that the Chinese group could take control for around 900 million euros of the 53.4% ​​of the audiovisual group through the acquisition of 22.5% in the hands of Torreal (Juan Abelló), 19% of Televisa and 12% of the co-founder Gerard Romy.

For their part, the other two co-founders of the multimedia conglomerate Jaume Roures and Tatxo Benet They would maintain management and their 12% shareholding package. As for the British WPP, it would continue to hold 22.5% of the shares.

But, Who is Orient Hontai Capital? It is an investment fund created in 2014, a subsidiary of Orient Securities, listed on the Shanghai and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges, and whose stock market value is around 10.8 billion.

In the last five years, Orient has focused its investment portfolio on the information technology, video game and media sectors, acquiring companies such as Shanda, specialized in online gaming, or the video game developers and marketers Diandin Interactive, China Mobile Games and FunPlus Games.

Mediapro, a giant

For its part, with activity around the world through its 40 headquarterss distributed in 26 countries From 4 continents, Mediapro (founded in 1994) provides the creativity and technical solutions necessary to design, produce and distribute any audiovisual or multichannel project in any corner of the planet with the most advanced technology.

Its 59 sets add up to 43,000 m2 of production spaces and 210,000 m2 of facilities. It has the first fleet of mobile units in Spain and the second largest in Europe, with 53 mobile units in HD, 4K and 3D and a network of more than 150 reporting teams in Spain and Portugal.

Currently its teams participate in the production of football leagues in Spain, France, Portugal, Kenya, Turkey, Greece, Colombia, Bolivia, Angola, Gabon, Qatar, Mozambique and Abu Dhabi, as well as the UEFA Champions League and other sports competitions and international events.

The company is the producer of Spanish football and has the broadcasting rights for LaLiga and the Champions League. Last summer it won the auction to offer the Champions League for three seasons starting with the 2018-2019 season, and in the coming weeks it will bid to retain the rights again for three more seasons (from 2019-2020 to 2021-2022) of LaLiga.

Mediapro is also a leading provider of satellite transmission services, with 6 teleports, 55 land mobile and fly-away stations, 60 mobile satellite units, engineering and value-added services and 708 channels distributed through networks and satellites. From its 4 play-out centers in Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Miami and Sofia, it provides service to 73 channels around the world. In audiovisual engineering, through Unitecnic, he designs and integrates services for numerous channels around the world.

Imagina, Mediapro's parent company, had a turnover of 1,536 million in 2016 (last year in the commercial registry), with a gross operating result (EBITDA) of 162 million euros.