Spark sells Lightbox to Sky

Spark New Zealand Limited
ARBN 050 611 277 Spark City, 167 Victoria Street West, Private Bag 92028, Auckland, New Zealand


MARKET RELEASE
19 December 2019

Spark sells Lightbox to Sky

Spark has today announced that it has entered into an agreement for Sky Network
Television Limited (Sky) to purchase its entertainment streaming business, Lightbox.
Matt Bain, Marketing Director for Spark, explains, “Early in 2019, we started a
process to identify a local or international media partner who could enhance
Lightbox’s content proposition and support its growth, while bringing the best and
broadest range of content to our customers.
“In the last five years, there has been significant growth and evolution in the
subscription video on demand (SVOD) market. Selling the Lightbox business to Sky
ensures a sustainable future for Kiwi SVOD services, while giving us the ongoing
ability to provide access to a high-quality TV and movie streaming service, which
benefits from a significantly enhanced range of entertainment content from Sky.”
Sophie Moloney, Sky’s Chief Legal, People and Partnerships Officer, says: “This deal
enables Sky to merge Lightbox with our own entertainment streaming service Neon
to create a supercharged SVOD service for New Zealanders. The new enhanced
service will combine the best features of Neon and Lightbox, and offer an
outstanding range of entertainment content from New Zealand and around the world
in a proudly kiwi way.
“We’re excited at the possibilities the deal presents, and the opportunity to attract
new customers to Sky and continue to grow our streaming services. We’re delighted
to be partnering with Spark to offer the enhanced service to Spark customers and
look forward to revealing more details in 2020.”
A conditional sale and purchase agreement has been signed and completion of the
deal is anticipated in the next few months, subject to commercial, legal and
regulatory approvals as required.
There will be a transitional period following completion where Spark will continue to
provide support for the Lightbox service, as the parties complete technical work to
fully transition the platform to Sky.
Spark customers who are currently using Lightbox will continue to receive Lightbox
‘on us’ as part of their eligible mobile and broadband plans both while the deal is
concluded and through a transitionary period. Following the transition period, Spark
will partner with Sky to make the combined entertainment streaming service
available to Spark customers through its broader entertainment offers on mobile and
broadband.

Spark New Zealand Limited
ARBN 050 611 277 Spark City, 167 Victoria Street West, Private Bag 92028, Auckland, New Zealand


Lightbox customers who are paying for the service directly will continue to be able to
enjoy the same great content they do today, and once Lightbox becomes part of
Sky’s new combined entertainment platform, customers will have access to an
enhanced range of entertainment content.
Over the past five years, Lightbox has become New Zealand’s leading local
subscription-based entertainment streaming business. Lightbox has been a valuable
part of Spark’s offer to mobile and broadband customers, while also attracting
customers who purchased the streaming service directly.

- ENDS –
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