The two-year courtship between Sony Group Corp.'s Indian unit and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd ended in acrimony on Monday, setting the stage for a legal battle and sparking uncertainty about the fate of both entities.
Sony ended the merger agreement and demanded $90 million in termination fees. Zee rejected the demand and said it plans to take legal action to protect stakeholder interests. The move came after a failed 30-day attempt to stitch together an agreement after the original deal deadline had passed. Sony has already moved an arbitration court in Singapore, a person aware of the matter said.
"After more than two years of negotiations, we are extremely disappointed that the closing conditions of the merger were not satisfied by the end date," Sony said in a statement, seeking termination fees. The board of Zee, which met soon after, rebuffed the demand, denied "alleged breaches", and said it is evaluating all options in a statement released to the media.
When contacted, both Sony and Zee declined to comment further on the matter.
Denne historien er fra January 23, 2024-utgaven av Mint Mumbai.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 23, 2024-utgaven av Mint Mumbai.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Premium the watchword for SBI as Q2 profits surge
Chairman says the bank will compete on quality of service, not on deposit rates
India eyes grants, loans for Global South at COP29
India plans to leverage its climate commitments to pitch for grants and concessional loans, instead of investments for the Global South, at the upcoming climate negotiations in Baku, two people aware of the matter said.
Tata Steel's Q2 show weighed down by slow Europe revival
The September quarter (Q2FY25) earnings of Tata Steel Ltd had its share of positives even as European operations remain a drag.
Spectre of fall in revenue nixes telecom levy cut
Indian telecom service providers' hopes to get relief from levies on adjusted gross revenue (AGR) might get dashed on the Union finance ministry's revenue concerns, according to two senior officials close to the discussions.
Zomato, Swiggy face CCI heat on antitrust violation
An investigation by India's antitrust body found food delivery giants Zomato and SoftBank-backed Swiggy breached competition laws, with their business practices favouring select restaurants listed on their platforms, documents show.
Trump enters just as the Fed is shifting its focus
With its second consecutive interest-rate cut this year, the Federal Reserve is attempting to boost the odds of a soft landing.
Regulator gets staff to enforce drug quality
The govt is planning to fill 250 new positions to strengthen enforcement
Govt unveils scheme for meditech industry
The government on Friday launched a scheme aimed at strengthening the medical devices industry with an initial outlay of ₹500 crore for three years 2024-2025 to 2026-27.
RATAN TATA MADE INDIA A BETTER, KINDER PLACE
Shri Ratan Tata's support for the Swachh Bharat Mission was close to my heart
Ministry cancels allocation of coal block to JSW Steel
The Union coal ministry has annulled the allocation of the Banai-Bhalumunda coal block in Chhattisgarh to Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Steel over the non-payment of a performance bank guarantee worth about ₹1,000 crore.
