Will Thomson Multimedia become Europe's new cinema giant?
Régie Media Belge International (RMBI) is in the process of selling a large part of its existing European multimedia network to the French electronics manufacturer Thomson Multimedia
Régie Media Belge International (RMBI) is in the process of selling a large part of its existing European multimedia network to the French electronics manufacturer Thomson Multimedia. RMBI is negotiating separately with another, as yet unnamed, interested party for the RMBI subsidiaries Switzerland and Austria. Terry Focant, spokesperson for RMB Belgium, said this on request. No comment was available from Thomson Multimedia. Thomson Multimedia is the world's fourth-largest supplier of home electronics equipment. With 73,000 employees in more than 30 countries, the group had a turnover of 9.1 billion euros in 2000, 36 percent more than in 1999.Focant emphasized that the talks with Thomson are by no means complete and could last until the end of March. Focant is negotiating with Thomson about the RMBI areas of Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary), Northern Europe (Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway), Western Europe (France, Netherlands, Belgium) and Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy). With two exceptions: The marketing of three TV channels in Spain, RMB's largest TV area outside Belgium, is said to be excluded from the talks. In Belgium, the parent company RMB Belgium only wants to sell the cinema division, while retaining the TV, radio, press and online divisions.
Should the deals with Thomson and the unnamed second interested party be finalized, only the Belgian parent company would remain from the RMBI network. The entire cinema network - with the exception of the RMBI Central Europe area (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) - would go to Thomson, making it the new cinema marketing giant of Europe. Two figures indicate this: RMBI is present in 17 countries, in twelve of which it has market shares of between 50 and 100 percent. In 2000, RMBI achieved a turnover of just under 150 million euros with cinema alone.
The RMBI Central Europe area has already been carved up, RMB Germany was sold to the previous shareholders Apax and Pricoa at the end of 2001 (WW 5/02). Matthias Luchsinger, Head of RMB Switzerland and Area Manager Central Europe, is now negotiating with the second interested party for RMB Switzerland and Austria on behalf of RMBI (mk).
Should the deals with Thomson and the unnamed second interested party be finalized, only the Belgian parent company would remain from the RMBI network. The entire cinema network - with the exception of the RMBI Central Europe area (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) - would go to Thomson, making it the new cinema marketing giant of Europe. Two figures indicate this: RMBI is present in 17 countries, in twelve of which it has market shares of between 50 and 100 percent. In 2000, RMBI achieved a turnover of just under 150 million euros with cinema alone.
The RMBI Central Europe area has already been carved up, RMB Germany was sold to the previous shareholders Apax and Pricoa at the end of 2001 (WW 5/02). Matthias Luchsinger, Head of RMB Switzerland and Area Manager Central Europe, is now negotiating with the second interested party for RMB Switzerland and Austria on behalf of RMBI (mk).
