Public limited company | |
Traded as |
NASDAQ: LBTYA NASDAQ: LBTYB NASDAQ: LBTYK NASDAQ-100 Components (LBTYA and LBTYK) LiLAC Group NASDAQ: LILA and NASDAQ: LILAK |
Industry |
Telecommunications Media |
Founded | 2005 in Douglas County, Colorado, United States |
Headquarters | Denver |
Key people
|
John C. Malone (Chairman) Michael Fries (President and CEO) Balan Nair (Chief Technology Officer) Charlie Bracken (Chief Financial Officer) |
Products | Broadband internet, cable television, telephony, mobile, direct-broadcast satellite |
Revenue | US$ 20 billion (2016) |
US$ 2.8 billion (2016) | |
Total assets | US$ 68.7 billion (2016) |
Total equity | US$ 13.8 billion (2016) |
Number of employees
|
47,000 (2016) |
Website | www |
Liberty Global plc is an American international telecommunications and television company. It was formed in 2005 by the merger of the international arm of Liberty Media and UGC (UnitedGlobalCom). Liberty Global is the largest broadband internet service provider outside the US.
Liberty Global had an annual revenue of $18.3 billion in 2015, with operations in 30 countries and 47,000 employees by 2016. Its cable services pass 55.8 million homes, with 28.6 million customers or 59 million RGUs (video, internet, and voice subscribers). In 2016, Liberty Global was ranked 88th on the Forbes World's Most Innovative Companies list.
Liberty Global Inc. was founded in 2005 when Liberty Media International, Inc. (LMI) and UnitedGlobalCom, Inc. (UGC) merged. LMI and UGC became subsidiaries of Liberty Global. The new entity had operations in 18 countries and networks over approximately 23 million homes, making it one of the largest broadband services companies in the world.
Liberty acquired German company Unitymedia in November 2009 for $5.2 billion. Unitymedia was Liberty's first German acquisition and the largest private-equity exit in Europe in 2009. In 2010, Liberty sold its stake in Jupiter Telecommunications, a Japanese telecommunications-services provider as Liberty shifted its resources back toward Europe.
In January 2013, Liberty Global raised its stake in Belgium-based Telenet from 50.2% to 58%. In June 2013, Liberty Global acquired British cable group Virgin Media for $24 billion in cash and stock. The agreement expanded Liberty into Europe's largest cable market. The acquisition was ranked as one of the 10 largest cable deals of all time. Liberty agreed on October 28 to sell Chellomedia for $1.035 billion except for its Benelux unit to AMC Networks. It was reported that this acquisition would make Liberty Global the largest broadband company in the world.
Liberty Global announced it would be acquiring Dutch cable company Ziggo for €10 billion in January 2014. The acquisition was completed in November 2014, when the services of UPC Nederland began to be merged into the new business. Liberty Global and Discovery Communications became joint owners of All3Media in May 2014 in a £500 million joint deal. In July 2014, Liberty Global acquired a 6.4% stake in ITV plc, valued at £481 million. Liberty's stake in the company increased to 9.9% in July 2015.