SPAIN/PORTUGAL- Private equity crowd hits the audiovisual arena

Private equity firm Torreal acquired 20% of sector player Imagina and Quercus Equity has purchased Madrid-based Stonex and Portuguese Alfasom as a platform for an ambitious build-up in the highly fragmented audiovisual sector. Quercus purchased Alfasom from Explorer Investments. The latter managed to make returns of 4.3x the initial investment in less than two years.

Another build-up in the sector was the one of Catalana d'Iniciatives in Q4 2006. The Catalan firm facilitated sector concentration via a transaction that united Abaira Studies from Madrid, Grupo Soundtrack from Catalonia, Galicia-based CTV Galaxia and Portuguese Matinha Studios. Catalana d’Iniciatives acquired a 70% participation for EUR 7m from the owners and managers of the respective companies, who have jointly reinvested EUR 3.5m in return for minority stakes in the new group. The merger of the Iberian dubbing companies allowed the new group, based in Barcelona, to offer thematic dubbing services for public and private television, cinema, video and publicity, as well as a full range of services to the main players of the cinema industry.

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Send to  

• Topics
• Buyouts
• Southern Europe