AFI BLOG: Media and Technology

Gemstar-TV Guide Sold to Macrovision - Advertising Age

Future of Magazine That Started It All Unclear

Macrovision, a Sunnydale, Calif., software and rights-management company, has struck a deal to buy Gemstar-TV Guide, the publisher of TV Guide magazine and proprietor of interactive program guides, for $2.8 billion in cash and stock. The companies’ announcement this morning settled one question raised when Gemstar put itself on the block in July — but shed little light on the new owner’s plans for the magazine that started it all.

In a lengthy statement to the press, Macrovision said the newly combined company will be a “leading enabler of the digital home entertainment experience and well-positioned to capture emerging opportunities across this exciting landscape.” It does not mention, even once, the word “magazine.”

“Users today are demanding an open, easy-to-use and integrated set of capabilities that delivery on the promise of the digital home,” said Fred Amoroso, president-CEO, Macrovision. “This presents challenges to the content providers, distribution channels and device manufacturers as they struggle to quickly bring such offerings to market while preserving their unique value propositions. We are now in a position to accelerate our vision by providing an enhanced combination of capabilities in support of the entire value chain, which is designed to deliver a differentiated solution for customers.”

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