Macrovision to buy Gemstar-TV Guide

Cory Bergman December 7th, 2007

The media technology company Macrovision is buying Gemstar-TV Guide for $2.8 billion, an unusual match-up that triggered a 22 percent drop in Macrovision’s stock. Explains the AP, “Macrovision Corp. wants to allow consumers to call up information about TV shows, view personal photos or access music libraries on a variety of electronic devices through a combination of its security software and Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. programming data. Macrovision develops technology to prevent unauthorized copying and viewing of video, music and other content.” Asked what will happen with TV Guide Magazine (which only old people read these days), Macrovision’s CEO said he didn’t have a “deep background in that area.”

Update: Rafat Ali blogs on PaidContent, “The Macrovision-Gemstar-TV Guide deal makes conceptual sense on the technology and services side, but what about the media business? What about the magazine, the TV channel, and the websites? It doesn’t really seem central to the combined company’s vision, however they want to spin it.”