Regional Players Map 2017 - Credit: © 2017 Convergencialatina
The Telecom-Cablevisión merger in Argentina generates a company valued at US $ 13,000 million that excels in Latin America. It has intangible values ??due to the power of Grupo Clarín and its elaborate network of business, political-institutional relations and impact on local public opinion.
The power of the new player makes it possible to project the implications that regional expansion can have, at least in the Southern Cone, where he has already expanded his presence. In Paraguay, Núcleo, a company controlled by Telecom, acquired 70% of the DTH operator TuVes. The purchase opens the question of future possible acquisitions in other countries of the region, considering the affinity with TuVes after four years of joint work with Telecom in Paraguay. TuVes, of Chilean origin, developed a wholesale DTH model with partners such as Viva, from the Dominican Republic, Cable Onda, from Panama, Inter from Venezuela, Tv Cable and Etapa from Ecuador, Inter Satelital and Cotas, from Bolivia, and TCC, from Uruguay.
The interference of the merged company in Uruguay is through Cablevisión's seven subsidiaries that operate in pay TV, with 23% of the market in Montevideo, although the regulatory limitations in that country mean that the merged company has little possibility of extending its services. , beyond an incursion in OTT services.
Telecom-Cablevisión also stoked the fire on all the versions circulating since last year regarding Telefónica in the region, particularly in Argentina. The Spanish company denies and insists that its strategy to reduce its bulky debt of around € 50,000 million is to divest non-strategic assets. That explained for example the sale of Telefé. But suspended the sale of O2 in the United Kingdom - Brexit crisis through - between the ranks of Alvarez-Pallete is not seen as an option to get rid of Latin American businesses. Therefore, they do not see any chance of acquisition either.
That would include any option by DirecTV, the subsidiary of AT & T that gives ambiguous signals: the strategic nature of the merger between AT & T and Time Warner repositions it in the search for new services and content and opens the eyes on Latin America. But at the same time, the difficulties that arise around the approval of the merger are growing, particularly in Brazil, where it was rejected by the Anatel regulator and contested by the Administrative Council of Economic Defense (Cade). The situation in Brazil reactivated the versions of AT & T's intention to sell DirecTV's business in Latin America.