Telstra to Acquire Ooyala to Build Leading Personalized Cloud-Based TV and Video Platform Company

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA and MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwired - Aug 11, 2014) - Telstra, one of the largest telecommunications and information services companies in the world, and Ooyala, a leader in video streaming and analytics, today announced they have reached a definitive agreement for Telstra to acquire Ooyala. The US$270 million investment increases Telstra's ownership in Ooyala from 23 per cent (fully diluted) to 98 per cent and is in addition to the US$61 million previously invested in Ooyala over the past two years. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in the next 60 days.

Ooyala will become a subsidiary of Telstra, and will operate as an independent business under the leadership of its existing management team led by chief executive officer Jay Fulcher. The company will retain the Ooyala brand and will continue to be headquartered in Silicon Valley.

The investment makes Ooyala one of the best-capitalized and most comprehensive video and analytics technology companies in the world. It is the culmination of a successful, long standing investment and business relationship between Ooyala and Telstra. As one of the world's largest telecommunications companies, with deep expertise in the digital media space, Telstra can provide the necessary and ongoing investments and business relationships to build on Ooyala's leadership in personalized video.

"With this investment, Ooyala is poised to extend our leadership in the rapidly expanding market for personalized cloud TV and video technology. With today's news, we combine the backing of one of the strongest telecommunications companies in the world with the intensity and agility of an independent Silicon Valley company. This combination accelerates our growth and pace of innovation, while we remain laser-focused on helping media companies everywhere win in an industry undergoing massive transformation," Fulcher said.

This is the first investment for Global Applications and Platforms (GAP). GAP's strategy is to create long-term global growth in markets that are adjacent to Telstra's core business, where software disrupts traditional business models.

Telstra Chief Executive Officer, Mr. David Thodey said, this provides an opportunity for Telstra and Ooyala to establish a consolidated leading global company to deliver platforms and services on which the next generation of TV and video will be built.

"Telstra's global customer relationships, our established presence in Asia and proven integration capabilities, combined with our expertise in online video and investment in Foxtel provide us a unique opportunity to succeed in this growth market," Mr. Thodey said.

Having already established the most robust set of end-to-end video technologies and services in the global marketplace, with tier-one customers including ESPN, Foxtel and Univision, Ooyala can now more rapidly scale its operations worldwide to seize the multi-billion dollar opportunity for cloud-based video solutions that enable personalized multi-screen television for mass audiences.

About Ooyala 
Ooyala delivers personalized video experiences across all screens and is a leader in online video management, publishing, analytics and monetization. Ooyala's integrated suite of technologies and services gives content owners the power to expand audiences through deep insights that drive increased viewer engagement and revenue from video. 

Companies using Ooyala technology include Univision, Foxtel, Comedy Central, NBC Universal, Telstra, ESPN, Telegraph Media Group, Telefonica, The North Face, Rolling Stone, Dell, Sephora and Yahoo! Japan. Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Ooyala has offices in New York City, London, Sydney, Tokyo and Guadalajara, Mexico. The company works with premier reseller and technology partners throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. For more information, visit www.ooyala.com.