Claxson Acquires Brazilian Rep Firm.

Claxson announced it has acquired a controlling stake in StarTV, the second largest advertising sales representative company for pay television in Brazil. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Paulo Leal will remain as President of StarTV and will be joined by Mario Pestana, a 25-year veteran of HBO Brazil. Mr. Pestana will assume the position of General Manager for StarTV.

StarTV had represented a number of Claxson’s pay TV channels such as Playboy TV Latin America and Infinito, along with several other independent channels. Through this investment, StarTV will now represent all of Claxson’s media properties, including Internet content, currently being distributed in Brazil. StarTV, through its relationship with Claxson, will be able to offer advertisers a broader portfolio of quality channels, more specialized marketing services and the ability to reach a growing and demographically diverse audience.

Roberto Vivo, Chairman and CEO of Claxson, stated, “The investment in StarTV will enhance the visibility of our pay TV operations and open new advertising revenue opportunities in the important Brazilian market. StarTV’s management team, led by Paulo Leal, will be further strengthened with the addition of Mario Pestana. This team, together with Ignacio Uranga, Claxson’s general director for Brazil, will seek to position Claxson as one of the best alternatives for Brazilian advertisers who want to efficiently reach their target audiences and strengthen their brands.”