Masstech to Acquire PlayBox Products and Technology

TORONTO—Masstech Group has signed a letter of intent to acquire the products and technology of PlayBox Technology, provider of channel-in-a-box systems for television. The shareholders of PlayBox Technology will continue to own and operate Playbox’ system integration, support center and worldwide distribution through its eight offices in Europe, Asia and the United States, and their associated reseller networks. Technology from the two companies will be on display side-by-side at NAB 2014 in booth #N5506 and #5434. The acquisition is expected to be completed in May 2014.

“The success of Masstech’s solutions and the dynamic changes being driven by consolidation in the broadcast market signaled to our shareholders, who represent some of the largest Venture Capital and Private Equity firms in Canada, that now is the right time to make strategic additions to the Masstech product portfolio,” said Masstech CEO Joe French. “Adding PlayBox enables us to extend the Masstech platform to create the first fully integrated broadcast environment that includes playout and graphics within the asset management system. Our partnership with PlayBox will also significantly expand the worldwide distribution of Masstech’s products and solutions through the PlayBox network.”

With the expanded Masstech technology, assets will be managed by an open platform across the broadcast chain, including ingest, production, and transmission, and embracing legacy infrastructure across popular editing, automation and playout systems.

Since 1999, PlayBox Technology has deployed more than 14,000 playout and branding channels in over 120 countries. The company researches, designs, develops and provisions broadcasting products, systems, solutions and services for a range of television applications including start-up TV channels, remote playout TV channels, DVB (ASI/IP) TV channels, ad insertion, interactive TV, music channels, film channels, disaster recovery, satellite broadcasters, IPTV, SMS2TV, Internet TV, webcasters as well as local, regional, national and international broadcasters.