Transaction summary

LUXEMBOURG, July 28, 2014 – Astorg Partners will acquire a majority stake in CDS Topco BV, a retail and wholesale supplier of Direct to Home (“DTH”) satellite pay TV services known under the name of M7, from an investor group led by Providence Equity Partners, a global private equity firm focused on media, communications, education and information services investments. Following the close of the transaction, Providence and Airbridge Investments B.V. will continue to be significant minority shareholders of M7.

Official press releases: Astorg and Providence

Emendo Capital acted as exclusive financial adviser to Astorg.

About M7

M7 Group SA, based in Luxembourg, is one of Europe’s largest operators of satellite and IP-based TV platforms. M7 uses different brands in different countries: CanalDigitaal and Online.nl in the Netherlands, TV Vlaanderen in Flanders and TéléSAT in French speaking Belgium, AustriaSat/HD Austria in Austria, Skylink for the Czech and Slovak markets and M7 Deutschland in Germany. All brands offer tailor made packages for clients adapted to the local culture and language in these countries. Today, M7 Group SA provides more than 3 million viewers with hundreds of satellite and IP-based radio and television services in digital and HD quality. Since 2011, M7 also provides broadband and telephony services to its customers in the Netherlands and Belgium. M7 Platform Services provides broadcasters with end-to-end distribution solutions for DTH, cable and IPTV reception. The European private equity firm Astorg is the majority shareholder of the M7 Group, the two other shareholders are Providence and Airbridge.

For additional information on M7, visit m7group.eu.

About Astorg

Astorg is a European private equity firm with total funds under management of over € 4 billion. Astorg seeks to partner with entrepreneurial management teams to acquire European companies and create value through the provision of strategic guidance, experienced governance and adequate capital. Astorg enjoys a distinct entrepreneurial culture, a long-term shareholder perspective, and a lean decision-making body enhancing its reactivity. Though not specialised, Astorg has gathered a valuable industry expertise in technology-based industrial companies, healthcare and business-to-business professional services. Astorg has offices in London, Paris, Luxembourg and Frankfurt, plus Senior Advisors based in Zurich, Paris and London.

For additional information on Astorg, visit astorg.com.

About Providence

Providence Equity Partners is a leading global private equity firm that specialises in equity investments in media, communications, education, and information companies around the world. The firm manages funds with over $ 40 billion in commitments and has invested in more than 140 companies globally since its inception in 1989. Providence is headquartered in Providence, RI and also has offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Beijing, and New Delhi.

For additional information on Providence, visit provequity.com.