TalkTalk has acquired Tesco’s blinkbox business, alongside the troubled supermarket’s broadband and fixed line voice base.
The alternative telco, which has successfully turned around its own ailing TV business, has acquired the assets in a single cash-only transaction.
TalkTalk TV now plans to use the blinkbox platform to bring forward a number of planned initiatives including a TV app to customers for in and out of home access to paid-for content across a range of devices. Its 1.2 million subscriber base has overtaken its fellow YouView partner BT TV.
Integration of the business is expected to commence immediately. Adrian Letts, blinkbox CEO and co-founder will join TalkTalk as Managing Director for TV and report to Tristia Harrison, Managing Director of our consumer business.
Dido Harding, Chief Executive of TalkTalk commented: “Since launch TalkTalk TV has demonstrated its popularity with value-seeking customers to become the UK’s fastest growing TV service. We are excited about the opportunity that blinkbox’s platform and technology expertise bring, and which will significantly accelerate the development of our TV platform. The purchase of Tesco’s broadband base is another example of TalkTalk leveraging its national network to grow faster. We are excited about the future of quad-play – fixed phone and broadband, TV and mobile – and this acquisition will help to further drive home our value for money advantage.”
Blinkbox, established by former Channel 4 New Media executive Michael Cormish and Vodafone’s former head of content Adrian Letts, was acquired by former Tesco chief Philip Clarke in April 2011.
In October with its core retailing business struggling, Tesco put Blinkbox on the market.
In August, Tesco quietly announced it would be closing its Clubcard TV service on October 28.
