Canal+ takes full control of SPI International

Black Money Love

Canal+ has acquired the 30% it did not already own in channels provider SPI International, according to a filing with the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, the KNF.

The filing shows that Canal+ is acquiring the 30% of Digital SPI International, the Lisbon-based indirect majority shareholder in Poland’s Kino Polska, from the listed owner of the shares, Hilda Uziyel.

It emerged in April that Canal+ intended, via Luxembourg-based subsidiary M7 Group, to exercise a call option on the 30% in the channel provider it did not already own to give it 100% control of the outfit.

At that time SPI founders Berk Uziyel and Loni Farhi stepped down from their roles within the company and Erwan Luherne, director of business integration for Canal+ International, and Jeroen Bergman, board member of M7 Group responsible for content and business development, took  over their responsibilities.

Luherne became managing director of SPI International.

SPI operates more than 40 free-to-air and pay-TV channels across European markets including Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, the Netherlands and Russia.

It is also behind movie service FilmBox and launched its Dizi-branded streamer in 2021, which focuses on Turkish content such as Black Money Love. The company also works with over 700 third-party operators worldwide to offer access to its linear and on-demand content, while also distributing content.