Technicolor to Spin Off VFX and Animation Division as a Publicly Traded Company

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorTechnicolor announced plans to spin off Technicolor Creative Studios, housing its visual effects and animation businesses including MPC Film (formerly known as the Moving Picture Co.), through a share distribution to company shareholders.Paris-based Technicolor will remain listed on Euronext Paris.

Following the spinoff of Technicolor Creative Studios, the parent company will retain up to 35% ownership. Technicolor will have two main lines of business following the transaction: Connected Home, a provider of broadband and Android TV tech solutions; and DVD Services, which provides replication, packaging and supply chain solutions for packaged media and related products for across film, TV, games and music industries.

In addition, Paris-based Technicolor said it received a binding offer to sell its trademark licensing operations for about €100 million (about $112 million) in cash.

The transaction will let the company “further simplify its structure with the sale of non-core assets, and to increase Technicolor financial flexibility,” it said.“After a comprehensive review, we determined that pursuing the partial spin-off of TCS from the Group along with the full refinancing of the existing debt will be the solution that best aligns strategy, value creation and financial objectives for all of Technicolor’s stakeholders,” Technicolor CEO Richard Moat said in a statement.The company announced the Technicolor Creative Studios spinoff plans and the deal for the trademark licensing unit as part of reporting full-year 2021 results.Technicolor forecast strong demand for Technicolor Creative Studios’ VFX creative and technology services.