BSC-Owned Deltatre Acquires Massive Interactive In $127M Deal

Bruin Sports Capital-owned media outfit Deltatre acquired London-based OTT software company Massive Interactive in a deal valued at up to $127M that will create what the two sides are touting as the largest independent OTT solution provider in the world. The acquisition will blend Deltatre’s existing capabilities in back-end streaming video delivery with Massive’s focus on consumer interfaces and front-end user experiences. The deal, combining cash and earnouts, will see Massive become a division of Deltatre after previously existing as a publicly traded over-the-counter stock. Massive will retain its brand identity and Deltatre will now have a total full-time staff of nearly 1,000. “This really builds out our ability to offer a true end-to-end OTT solution, and will also accelerate our move into other parts of media and entertainment and new verticals beyond what we do in sports,” said Deltatre President Americas Andrea Marini. “This was something where we saw a great deal of complementary skills with very little overlap.” The deal also marks the sixth acquisition for Bruin Sports Capital and its subsidiaries this year. Deltatre clients include the NFL, FIFA, EPL, UEFA and ATP, while Massive services AT&T, Perform Group, BBC Worldwide and Bell Media, among others. Massive co-Founder & CEO Ron Downey said many current RFPs from OTT programmers now are asking for full capabilities from a single entity as opposed to combined bids from multiple vendors. “This type of single solution we now have is what the market prefers, and there are very few entities out there capable of delivering what we now can,” Downey said. The deal is still subject to various regulatory approvals. Deltatre was aided on the deal by the Gibson Dunn law firm and HSBC, while Massive was advised by DLA Piper and Raymond James.

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'MILLENNIAL AUDIENCES': In London, Murad Ahmed reported Deltatre was acquired two years ago by Bruin Sports Capital, an investment fund founded by George Pyne, a former president of IMG sports agency. Pyne said that demand for online services from broadcasters and sports leagues would grow, as the company "sought to keep the attention of millennial audiences" which "increasingly prefer to watch sport on mobile devices and over the internet." Pyne: "Fans are changing. They are much more invested in how they consume sports and entertainment. The more equipped you are to personalize that experience, the more valuable the relationship will become" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 11/8).