Business Wire India

WarnerMedia has reached an agreement to buy Ole Communications’ minority stake in HBO Ole Partners, the joint venture between WarnerMedia and Ole Communications. When the transaction closes, WarnerMedia will own 100% of all HBO, MAX, Cinemax and HBO Go services in Spanish-speaking Latin America and the Caribbean. The ownership structure of HBO Brasil Partners, another joint venture between the companies that operates HBO in Brazil, is unaffected at this time. WarnerMedia and Ole Communications will continue their basic channel distribution business in Latin America.

The transaction is expected to be completed following the granting of relevant regulatory approvals. Upon completion, HBO Ole Partners will fall under the purview of Gerhard Zeiler, Chief Revenue Officer, WarnerMedia & President, WarnerMedia International Networks.

“We’re excited to own all of HBO Ole Partners, which operates one of the leading premium, subscription-based television networks in the region. The acquisition will allow us to bring localized versions of our upcoming U.S. streaming service HBO Max to consumers in Spanish speaking Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Zeiler. “We have the option to acquire the business in Brazil but are not doing so at this time. As we have said, additional, direct investment in Brazil is not currently attractive to us because of the existing regulatory uncertainty in the country. We support and remain optimistic about the ongoing efforts to amend the SeAC law to ensure the media industry has a clear and predictable regulatory framework that fosters investment and innovation.”

“WarnerMedia has been a great partner in Latin America and we are proud to have built the HBO-branded networks in the region together,” said Enrique Cusco, President and CEO of Ole Communications. “We are pleased that we will continue the business of distributing our great portfolio of basic channels in the market, a portfolio that includes Warner Channel and the channels of A+E Networks Latin America, NBCUniversal International Networks Spanish Latin America and Sony Pictures Entertainment.”

WarnerMedia and Ole Communications brought HBO programming services to the region for the first time when they founded the HBO Ole Partners joint venture in 1991 and launched a Spanish-language HBO-branded premium channel that same year. In 1994, a Portuguese-language service was launched in Brazil.

About HBO Max

HBO Max is a new streaming service which will offer an impressive direct-to-consumer experience for everyone, ranging from families with young children to adults of all ages. Anchored with and inspired by the legacy of HBO’s excellence and award-winning storytelling, the new service will feature an extensive collection of exclusive original programming (Max Originals) and the best-of-the-best from WarnerMedia’s enormous portfolio of beloved brands and libraries.

About WarnerMedia

WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC Entertainment, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).

About Ole Communications

Ole Communications is an international multi-media company and a pioneer in the Latin American pay television industry. The Company’s various joint ventures include A+E Networks Latin America, NBCUniversal International Networks Spanish Latin America, HBO Brasil Partners, IVC Networks and PlayGround Americas. Through its affiliates, the Company distributes the leading pay television brands in Latin America, such as A&E, AXN, History, H2, IVC, Lifetime, E! Entertainment, Studio Universal, Sony Channel, SyFy, Telemundo Internacional, Universal TV and Warner Channel. To support its joint ventures and strategic partners throughout Latin America, Ole Communications, through its VC Medios affiliates, provides advertising sales representation services as well as broadcast, languaging, and production services.

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