Convergencia Research, Consultoría especializada en Latinoamérica y Caribe
Monday, December 05, 2016

Alliances Map in Argentina 2016

The competitive scenario has a high impact due to the transformation of Grupo Clarín

Alliances Map in Argentina 2016 - Credit: © 2016 Grupo Convergencia
Alliances Map in Argentina 2016 - Credit: © 2016 Grupo Convergencia

The multimedia that managed to circumvent all instances of the Law of Audiovisual Communication Services not to divide during the Kirchner years decided to change. His fate began to improve from the beginning of the Macri era. Everything began at the time of the assumption of the new president, who with DNU 267 modified that national law and, also, the one known as Argentina Digital.

The new government also approved the purchase of Nextel that "the Group" had completed in 2015. Then, the new mobile company acquired five companies with 900 MHz and 2.5 GHz spectrum (Trixco, Skyonline Argentina, Netizen, Infotel and Callbi). With these frequencies in its power requested a change of attribution to provide value-added services, such as mobile data, to Nextel subscribers. At the close of this map, the Executive had not given a positive response, but is expected to issue a decree in which the current administration would solve both this issue and others affecting DirecTV and incumbents.

The Map of Alliances 2016 shows what the Clarín Group's structure would look like. The important thing is that it will separate its businesses from content and communications. This division would tend to avoid future problems with two different lines of business in their operation, income and capital needs.

The National Ente of Communications (Enacom), this year endorsed the purchase of Telecom by the investment fund Fintech, Mexican entrepreneur David Martinez, who also owns 40% of Cablevisión. Therefore, Telecom Italia, the former dominant shareholder of Telecom Argentina, is no longer included in this edition.

Fintech's relationship with Cablevisión and Telecom could be the nexus for a possible merger between the two companies. This possibility was "installed" in the field of the hypotheses and to give in some moment would do cimbrar the competitive scenario. The union would create the most remarkable convergent company in the country. And the Clarin Group, which eight years ago was about to acquire Telecom, would have a redoubled political and social power. It will be necessary to see how the control body acts and also the National Commission of Defense of the Competition.

Telefonica managed to sell Telefe, after months of uncertainty and offers fallen with bidders like Turner and Cisneros. Finally, Viacom was left with the air channel for US $ 345 million.

Some media did not survive the end of kirchnerismo, such is the case of Grupo Veintitrés. The Indalo Group acquired the few "profitable" assets owned by Matías Garfunkel and Sergio Spolsky: CN23, Rock and Pop, El Argentino newspaper, Vorterix radio. On the other hand, two media that belonged to Grupo Veintitrés, Tiempo Argentino and Radio América, were bought by Mariano Martínez Rojas, but the operation was never carried out. Both the newspaper and the radio continue to operate, operated by their workers. Another movement is that of Grupo Octubre, led by Suterh Syndicate owner Victor Santa Maria, who bought Page 12 and merged it with other media such as AM 750, Caras y Caretas magazine, FM Tango Malena, among others.

About TDA can be said to have been abandoned during the first year of the new government. The signals were degraded, the best example is Encounter. In any case, Enacom delivered two Digital TV signals to Grupo Perfil, by Jorge Fontevecchia, to broadcast in the City of Buenos Aires. In addition, La Nación launched a signal that goes on TV Paga, LN +, which so far is on the grid of Cablevision and Directv, and can be viewed online by Facebook.

Another stage of convergence is approaching. Since 2018, all players could offer all services, that convergence for years slowed, delayed. Of course, the possibility of capturing the competition will depend on the quality of the networks, especially the big players. Changes in competition models will then be generated. Faced with this new scenario, where all compete with all, the differential will have who or who remain with the business of the transmission of football, following the government's decision to end Football for All. Until the closing of this edition, Turner and Fox offered a flat of $ 2,000 million per year to keep the rights of transmission.

It should also be mentioned that this year there were acquisitions in the segment of global networks that impact on the local market as Century Link acquired Level 3; And content, where AT & T bought Time Warner for $ 85 billion, an operation that is subject to approval.

Comprar mapa