Prism Facilitate 95 Per Cent Sale of EBS New Media to The Press Association (PA)

EBS New Media, a leading provider of electronic programme guides (EPGs) and video-on-demand metadata, has been sold to PA Group, the news and information business and parent company of The Press Association, in a sale facilitated by specialist Technology M&A advisors Prism Corporate Broking.

EBS New Media delivers entertainment metadata and EPG services to linear and non-linear television operators around the world using Pawa2, its bespoke, cloud-based software system. Combining EBS’s Pawa2 system with PA’s existing listings operation will position the businesses to provide a full suite of metadata to the increasingly multi-platform television industry, while continuing to deliver the high-quality TV listings information that is critical to PA’s market-leading page-ready services.

Ninety five per cent of EBS shares were sold to PA Group with an option to purchase the remaining shares. The sale adds to PA Group’s on-going investment towards its long-term strategy to diversify its business and consolidate its position as the UK’s leading provider of cross-platform news, sport and entertainment data, content and services.

EBS will continue to be led by Managing Director Keith Bedford, working closely with a team from PA Group led by Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Dowsett.

A priority for the combined businesses will be to continue to build on their extensive portfolio of TV metadata clients which currently includes BBC Studios, BT, Discovery Networks, ITV, Radio Times, Sky and TalkTalk.

Keith Bedford, Managing Director at EBS said: “The PA Group is a perfect fit for us and I am delighted to be joining forces with this world-renowned brand. EBS has experienced rapid growth in recent years, offering effective and innovative TV metadata management, enhancement and distribution services to a growing roster of global clients. By joining PA Group, we can continue to develop bespoke and effective solutions for existing and future clients with the backing of an organisation with 150 years of experience in the media industry. We look forward to working with PA to develop our shared vision of providing customers around the world with the best TV metadata service.”

Peter Watson, Managing Director of Prism, who facilitated the deal said: “It has been great to work with Keith and EBS’s major shareholder, Ben Tagg over the last couple of years and we are delighted to conclude the deal with PA Group. There are good synergies between the two organisations and this coupled with similar cultures make this an excellent fit.”

Andrew Dowsett, Chief Operating Officer at PA Group said: “By coming together with EBS, we are creating a compelling and dynamic centralised metadata hub. EBS has established itself as a leading player in metadata distribution for TV channels. Its unique Pawa2 solution, coupled with their relationships with some of the largest commercial broadcasters in the world, perfectly complement PA’s market-leading editorial listings service for newspapers, digital media and TV platforms.”