RealNetworks Successfully Completes Tender Offer for WiderThan
30 Outubro 2006 - 2:01AM
PR Newswire (US)
Subsequent Offering Period to Be Provided SEATTLE, Oct. 30
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RealNetworks, Inc. (NASDAQ:RNWK) today
announced the final results of its tender offer to purchase up to
all of the issued and outstanding common shares and American
Depository Shares ("ADSs") of WiderThan Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ:WTHN) at
a price of $17.05 per common share and per ADS, or approximately
$350 million. The tender offer was made pursuant to the Offer to
Purchase and Letter of Transmittal, each filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on September 29, 2006, as amended and
supplemented. The tender offer expired on October 27, 2006, at
12:00 midnight, New York City time. As a result of the successful
tender offer, WiderThan will become a majority-owned subsidiary of
RealNetworks. Based on the final count of the depositaries for the
tender offer, an aggregate of 2,840,329 common shares and
15,905,999 ADSs, together representing approximately 95% of the
outstanding common shares, including common shares underlying ADSs
of WiderThan, were validly tendered and not withdrawn prior to the
expiration of the offer. All shares validly tendered and not
withdrawn were accepted for payment, and RealNetworks will promptly
pay for such shares through the depositaries for the tender offer.
"We are thrilled to bring the WiderThan team into the RealNetworks
family," said Rob Glaser, chairman and CEO of Real. "WiderThan's
tradition of innovation and great service to wireless carriers has
made WiderThan a respected leader in mobile entertainment. Our
combined company is very well positioned to lead the next
generation of digital media delivery, and we're looking forward to
successfully capitalizing on the great opportunities in front of
us." RealNetworks also announced that it will provide a subsequent
offering period of ten business days, expiring at 12:00 midnight,
New York City time, on November 10, 2006, unless extended. During
the subsequent offering period, holders of WiderThan common shares
and ADSs that were not previously tendered in the offer may tender
their common shares and ADSs in exchange for $17.05 per common
share and per ADS on the same terms that applied prior to the
initial expiration of the offer. RealNetworks will pay for any
common shares and ADSs tendered in the subsequent offering period
promptly after such common shares and ADSs are validly tendered.
Common shares and ADSs that are properly tendered, whether before
or after the commencement of the subsequent offering period, may
not be withdrawn during the subsequent offering period, pursuant to
Rule 14d-7(a)(2) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. The purpose of the subsequent offering period is to enable
holders of WiderThan common shares and ADSs who did not tender
their shares prior to the initial expiration of the offer to
participate in the offer and receive the $17.05 net per common
share and per ADS in cash on an expedited basis. All other terms
and conditions of the offer remain the same, as set forth in the
tender offer materials disseminated by RealNetworks. WiderThan is a
leading provider of ringback tones, music-on-demand and other
mobile entertainment services to more than 50 wireless carriers in
more than 25 countries including leading carriers such as SK
Telecom in South Korea, Verizon Wireless in the U.S., and Bharti
Airtel in India. For the six months ended June 30, 2006, WiderThan
achieved $61.9 million in revenue, an increase of 39% over the same
period in 2005. Net income for the first six months of 2006 was
$7.4 million, an increase of 79% from the prior year. As of June
30, 2006, WiderThan had approximately $93 million of cash, cash
equivalents and short-term financial instruments. Real and
WiderThan have a heritage of innovation that has enabled popular
consumer services including music, casual games and video services.
This acquisition is complementary to RealNetworks' strategy of
providing end-to-end digital media solutions to partners such as
Cingular, Comcast, Sprint and Telmex. The companies' geographic
footprints are complementary, with both companies enjoying market
penetration in North America, while RealNetworks is strong in
Europe, and WiderThan in Asia. This acquisition also provides
RealNetworks with technology and customer relationships to extend
its market-leading music subscription service into the rapidly
growing mobile music space. Real plans to discuss this transaction
and its effect on the overall business during its next quarterly
earnings call scheduled for November 6, 2006, 5:00 p.m. ET. Details
can be found at http://investor.realnetworks.com/ . ABOUT
REALNETWORKS RealNetworks, Inc. is a leading creator of digital
media services and software including Rhapsody(R), RealPlayer(R) 10
and casual PC and mobile games. Broadcasters, network operators,
media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks' products and
services to create and deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones
and consumer electronic devices. Consumers can access and
experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks'
consumer software at http://www.real.com/ . RealNetworks' systems
and corporate information are located at
http://www.realnetworks.com/ . Notice to Investors THIS PRESS
RELEASE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER TO
BUY OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY SECURITIES. THE
SOLICITATION AND THE OFFER TO BUY WIDERTHAN COMMON SHARES AND
AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES IS MADE PURSUANT TO THE TENDER OFFER
STATEMENT, THE OFFER TO PURCHASE AND RELATED MATERIALS THAT
REALNETWORKS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006. WIDERTHAN SHAREHOLDERS AND OTHER INVESTORS
SHOULD READ THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT, THE OFFER TO PURCHASE AND
RELATED MATERIALS CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TENDER
OFFER. WIDERTHAN SHAREHOLDERS AND OTHER INVESTORS CAN OBTAIN COPIES
OF THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 'TO', THE OFFER TO
PURCHASE AND RELATED DOCUMENTS WITHOUT CHARGE FROM THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION THROUGH THE COMMISSION'S WEB SITE AT
WWW.SEC.GOV. SHAREHOLDERS AND OTHER INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ
CAREFULLY THOSE MATERIALS PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISIONS WITH
RESPECT TO THE OFFER. RNWK-F DATASOURCE: RealNetworks, Inc.
CONTACT: Bill Hankes, +1-206-892-6614, or ; or investors, Roy
Goodman, +1-206-674-2330, or , both of RealNetworks; or Tania
Almond of WiderThan, +1-571-521-1080, or ; or media, Melissa
Mirabile of Fleishman-Hillard, +1-914-841-5180, or , for WiderThan
Web site: http://www.realnetworks.com/
Copyright
Widerthan (NASDAQ:WTHN)
Gráfico Histórico do Ativo
De Out 2024 até Nov 2024
Widerthan (NASDAQ:WTHN)
Gráfico Histórico do Ativo
De Nov 2023 até Nov 2024