M&A Deal Summary

Bain Capital Private Equity, The Blackstone Group and NBC Universal Acquire The Weather Company

On July 6, 2008, private equity firm Bain Capital Private Equity, private equity firm The Blackstone Group and NBC Universal acquired media company The Weather Company from Landmark Communications for 3.6B USD

Acquisition Highlights
  • This is Bain Capital Private Equity’s 7th, The Blackstone Group’s 12th and NBC Universal’s 5th transaction in the Media sector.
  • This is Bain Capital Private Equity’s 14th, The Blackstone Group’s 43rd and NBC Universal’s 2nd largest (disclosed) transaction.
  • This is Bain Capital Private Equity’s 48th, The Blackstone Group’s 87th and NBC Universal’s 5th transaction in the United States.
  • This is Bain Capital Private Equity’s 5th, The Blackstone Group’s 4th and NBC Universal’s 1st transaction in Georgia.
Investment Fate
  • The Weather Company was divested to a consortium of buyers in 2018.

M&A Deal Summary
Date 2008-07-06
Target The Weather Company
Sector Media
Buyer(s) Bain Capital Private Equity
The Blackstone Group
NBC Universal
Sellers(s) Landmark Communications
Deal Type Divestiture
Deal Value 3.6B USD

Target

The Weather Company

Atlanta, Georgia, United States
The Weather Company is the owner of The Weather Channel and provides people with weather forecasts, content and data, connecting with them through television, online, mobile and tablet screens. Through WSI and Weather Central, the company delivers professional weather services for the media, aviation, marine and energy sectors.

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Buyer(S) 3

Buyer

Bain Capital Private Equity

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1984
PE ASSETS 44.2B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

Bain Capital Private Equity (BCPE), is the private equity investment arm of alternative asset management firm, Bain Capital. BCPE targets leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions in a wide variety of industries including information technology, communications, media, healthcare, industrial/manufacturing, retail/consumer, and financial services. Bain Capital is based in Boston with additional offices in New York, London, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Munich.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 67 of 238
Sector (Media) 7 of 9
Type (Divestiture) 17 of 37
State (Georgia) 5 of 9
Country (United States) 48 of 124
Year (2008) 2 of 4
Size (of disclosed) 14 of 72
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2008-07-02 SinoMedia Holding

Beijing, China

SinoMedia Holding is a media company in China. SinoMedia Holding was founded in 1999 and is based in Beijing, China.

Sell -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2008-07-28 Contec

Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States

Contec is a consumer premise equipment repair company providing services to the broadband industry.

Buy $57M
Buyer

The Blackstone Group

New York, New York, United States

Investor Investor Investor Investor Investor

Category Private Equity Firm
Founded 1987
PE ASSETS 131.0B USD
Size Mega
Type Sector Agnostic
DESCRIPTION

The Blackstone Group is a global alternative investment management firm. The Firm's investment activities span real estate, secondary investments, hedge funds, credit, infrastructure, and private equity. Blackstone's private equity group targets opportunities globally including buyout acquisitions of established companies, development projects, growth equity financings, and industry consolidations. Sectors of interest include automotive, healthcare, chemicals, industrial, commercial property, lodging, communications, media/publishing, consumer & retail, packaging, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, energy, technology, entertainment, telecommunications, financial services, theme parks, food & beverage, and transportation. Blackstone's private equity real estate group looks for opportunities across North/South America, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, and Europe. The real estate group will consider both equity and debt investments. Areas of interest include healthcare, hotel, industrial, office, residential, and retail. The Blackstone Group was formed in 1987 and is based in New York, New York.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 125 of 340
Sector (Media) 12 of 14
Type (Divestiture) 10 of 33
State (Georgia) 4 of 8
Country (United States) 87 of 211
Year (2008) 6 of 14
Size (of disclosed) 43 of 172
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2008-06-24 Crestwood Midstream Partners

Houston, Texas, United States

Crestwood Midstream Partners LP is a provider of pipeline, gathering and processing, storage and other assets in the midstream energy sector to build a North American midstream business.

Buy -
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2008-07-25 AlliedBarton Security Services

Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, United States

AlliedBarton Security Services LLC is a provider of superior security officer services to protect people, homes and businesses. AlliedBarton tailors security programs to meet clients’ needs with committed professionals who enhance clients’ brands. The most honored security services provider, AlliedBarton consistently delivers exceptional service which creates a differentiated experience for clients and the people they serve. More than 60,000 employees and 120 offices serve thousands of clients with levels of protection that anticipate needs and build enduring relationships.

Buy $756M
Buyer

NBC Universal

New York, New York, United States
Category Company
Sector Media
Employees40,000
DESCRIPTION

NBCUniversal owns and operates a portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a motion picture company, television production operations, a leading television stations group, theme parks, and a suite of Internet-based businesses.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 6 of 13
Sector (Media) 5 of 8
Type (Divestiture) 2 of 2
State (Georgia) 1 of 1
Country (United States) 5 of 11
Year (2008) 1 of 1
Size (of disclosed) 2 of 4
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2007-11-20 Oxygen Media

New York, New York, United States

Oxygen Media LLC is a cable television programming network and media company serving women audiences with a mixture of entertainment and information.

Buy $925M
FOLLOWING DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2010-01-01 TheGrio

New York, New York, United States

TheGrio is a digital video-centric news community platform devoted to providing African-Americans with compelling stories and perspectives currently underrepresented in existing national news outlets.

Buy -

Seller(S) 1

SELLER

Landmark Communications

Alpharetta, Georgia, United States
Category Company
Sector Communications
Employees12,000
DESCRIPTION

Landmark Communications, Inc., is a privately-held media company with interests in newspapers, broadcasting, cable programming, print and online classified marketplaces, broadband services, interactive marketing, Internet video distribution, and other businesses.

DEAL STATS #
Overall 2 of 2
Sector (Media) 2 of 2
Type (Divestiture) 2 of 2
State (Georgia) 1 of 1
Country (United States) 2 of 2
Year (2008) 1 of 1
Size (of disclosed) 1 of 2
PREVIOUS DEAL
DATE TARGET DEAL TYPE VALUE
2007-07-12 Digital Envoy

Duluth, Georgia, United States

Digital Envoy, Inc., is the parent company of Digital Element and Digital Resolve. Digital Element is the pioneer and leading provider of IP Intelligence solutions for a variety of media and Internet applications. Leading web publishers, search engines, advertisers and analytics firms use Digital Element’s IP Intelligence and Geolocation solutions to tailor content to web visitors, revolutionizing the way consumers experience the Internet.

Buy -
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