TalkTalk acquires Tesco Broadband and Blinkbox

8th Jan 2015 07:40

Telecom group TalkTalk has acquired Tesco Broadband and the retailer's on-demand video service Blinkbox for an undisclosed amount.Tesco's decision to sell Blinkbox comes as no surprise, after the group chief executive, Dave Lewis, had identified the streaming service as one of the firm's expendable assets as he looked to shore up the balance sheet."We are excited about the opportunity that Blinkbox's platform and technology expertise bring, and which will significantly accelerate the development of our TV platform," said TalkTalk chief executive Dido Harding."The purchase of Tesco's broadband base is another example of TalkTalk leveraging its national network to grow faster."We are excited about the future of quad-play - fixed phone and broadband, TV and mobile - and this acquisition will help to further drive home our value for money advantage."TalkTalk said the integration of Blinkbox with its existing TV business would begin immediately, while Tesco Broadband customers will be transferred to the TalkTalk network over the coming months.