News

United Group, a portfolio company of BC Partners, has agreed to buy the Croation business of Tele2 AB for 220 million euros ($245.7 mln). The deal is expected to close before the end of 2019. David D’Souza, David Higgins and Neel Sachdev of Kirkland & Ellis advised BC Partners.

PRESS RELEASE

Tele2 divests its Croatian business
Stockholm – Tele2 AB (“Tele2”) (Nasdaq Stockholm: TEL2 A and TEL2 B) has agreed to sell its Croatian business to United Group for an enterprise value of EUR 220 million (today approximately SEK 2,340 million). The transaction provides an opportunity for Tele2 to realize value from the successful development of the Croatian business and to further advance its strategy with a focus on the Baltic Sea region. Closing is expected before the end of 2019 and is subject to regulatory approval.
Tele2 has entered into an agreement to sell Tele2 Croatia to United Group, a leading telecoms and media provider in South East Europe, for an enterprise value of EUR 220 million.
– We are proud of the business we have built in Croatia and especially its outstanding development in the last two years, driven by our talented employees and our valued customer base. We believe Tele2 Croatia will create even greater value for our customers going forward, as part of United Group’s family of telecom and media companies. For Tele2, this opportunity enables an increased focus on successfully executing our strategy in the remaining footprint. I would like to thank the Croatian team for their engagement and many contributions to Tele2 over the past 14 years, says Anders Nilsson, President and CEO of Tele2.
Closing of the transaction
The transaction requires approval from relevant regulatory bodies including the Croatian Competition Agency. It does not require filing with the European Commission. Closing is expected before the end of 2019.
Following the agreement announced today Tele2 Croatia will be reported separately under discontinued operations in the income statement, with a retrospective effect on previous periods. Perella Weinberg Partners acted as financial advisor to Tele2.
After closing of the transaction Tele2’s Board of Directors will decide on the use of proceeds, taking into account the Group’s investment needs and its policies for shareholder remuneration and financial leverage. The previously announced extraordinary shareholder remuneration which is still subject to closing in Kazakhstan, is independent to the transaction in Croatia.
About United Group
United Group is a leading connectivity and media provider in South East Europe. It has the broadest network coverage in the region with 3.82 million subscribers and offers both local and international content. United Group has operations in six countries and employs around 4,400 employees. Its headquarter is situated in Amsterdam.