Casema

Casema, short for Centrale Antenne Systemen Exploitatie Maatschappij, was a Dutch cable communications provider that operated primarily in and around The Hague, Amersfoort, Utrecht, Amstelveen, and Breda. It was established on 7 January 1970 and initially concentrated on cable television, reflecting the expansion of shared cable distribution systems in the Netherlands. Over time, its activities broadened beyond television distribution to include internet access and telephone services delivered over its cable network. For much of its early history, Casema had a mixed ownership structure. KPN held 75 percent of the company and Netherlands Public Broadcasting held the remaining 25 percent until 1998. That ownership arrangement linked Casema both to the Dutch telecommunications sector and to the country’s public broadcasting infrastructure. In 1998, Casema was sold to France Télécom, marking a shift from predominantly domestic institutional ownership to control by an international telecommunications group. France Télécom subsequently sold Casema in 2003 to an investor consortium consisting of the Carlyle Group, GMT Communications, and Providence Equity Partners. The company was later acquired in July 2006 by Cinven and Warburg Pincus for €2.1 billion. The new owners also acquired two other Dutch cable operators, Multikabel and @Home. These transactions created the basis for combining several regional cable businesses into a larger national operator. On 16 May 2008, Casema was merged with Multikabel and @Home to form Ziggo. The merger ended Casema as an independent operating brand. At the time of the combination, Casema had approximately 1.4 million customers, while the newly formed Ziggo group had approximately 3.3 million customers. Casema’s history therefore reflects the consolidation of the Dutch cable market: a regional television distributor evolved into a provider of converged television, broadband, and telephony services before being absorbed into a larger cable platform.

Casema was founded on 7 January 1970 in the Netherlands under the name Centrale Antenne Systemen Exploitatie Maatschappij. Its original business was cable television, using shared cable infrastructure to distribute television programming to households. The company became particularly important in and around several Dutch urban areas, including The Hague, Amersfoort, Utrecht, Amstelveen, and Breda. Until 1998, Casema was owned by KPN, which held a 75 percent stake, and Netherlands Public Broadcasting, which held the remaining 25 percent. This structure reflected the relationship between telecommunications infrastructure and broadcasting distribution in the Dutch market. Casema’s ownership changed in 1998 when France Télécom acquired the company. The operator was later sold by France Télécom in 2003 to a consortium made up of the Carlyle Group, GMT Communications, and Providence Equity Partners. During the 2000s, Casema developed beyond its original cable television role. Its network supported internet access and telephone services, making it part of the broader shift toward bundled communications services over cable infrastructure. The Dutch cable industry was also undergoing consolidation, as regional operators were assembled into larger platforms with greater geographic reach. In July 2006, Cinven and Warburg Pincus bought Casema for a reported €2.1 billion. The same ownership group also acquired Multikabel and @Home, two other Dutch cable companies. The three businesses were subsequently brought together, and on 16 May 2008 they merged to form Ziggo. Casema had approximately 1.4 million customers at the time of the merger, while the combined company had approximately 3.3 million customers. The merger marked the end of Casema as a standalone brand and placed its cable television, internet, and telephone activities within Ziggo.

• 2008

  Casema becomes part of Ziggo

  [1]Casemaen.wikipedia.org

  Casema merged with Multikabel and @Home on 16 May 2008 to form Ziggo.

• 2006

  Casema is purchased by Cinven and Warburg Pincus

  [1]Casemaen.wikipedia.org

  Cinven and Warburg Pincus acquired Casema for a reported €2.1 billion and also bought Multikabel and @Home.

• 2003

  Private-equity ownership begins

  [1]Casemaen.wikipedia.org

  France Télécom sold Casema to the Carlyle Group, GMT Communications, and Providence Equity Partners.

• 1998

  France Télécom acquires Casema

  [1]Casemaen.wikipedia.org

  Casema moved from ownership by KPN and Netherlands Public Broadcasting to France Télécom.

• 1970

  Casema is founded

  [1]Casemaen.wikipedia.org

  Centrale Antenne Systemen Exploitatie Maatschappij was established on 7 January 1970, initially focusing on cable television.

A regional Dutch cable network operator that expanded from television distribution into bundled broadband and telephone services.

• Television distribution · 1970

  Cable television

  Casema’s original and core activity was the distribution of television programming over Dutch cable networks. The service was primarily regional, with the company operating in and around major urban areas including The Hague, Amersfoort, Utrecht, Amstelveen, and Breda. Cable television remained the foundation on which Casema later added broadband and telephone services.

• Broadband internet

  Internet access

  As cable networks evolved, Casema offered internet access alongside its television services. This represented the company’s expansion into broadband communications and helped position the operator as a multi-service provider rather than solely a television distributor. The internet business was later incorporated into Ziggo when the companies merged in 2008.

• Fixed-line telecommunications

  Telephone services

  Casema also provided telephone services over its cable infrastructure. Together with television and internet access, telephony formed part of the bundled communications proposition developed by the company in the later phase of its existence. These activities ceased to be associated with an independent Casema operation after the formation of Ziggo.

• 2008

  Merger into ZiggoM&A

  Background

  Casema, Multikabel, and @Home were assembled under common ownership as part of the consolidation of Dutch cable operations.

  Action taken

  The three companies merged on 16 May 2008 to create Ziggo.

  Aftermath

  Casema ceased to operate as an independent company or brand. The combined business had approximately 3.3 million customers, compared with about 1.4 million customers at Casema before the merger.

  Source

• 2006

  Acquisition by Cinven and Warburg PincusM&A

  Background

  Casema was acquired during a period of consolidation in the Dutch cable sector. The new owners also purchased Multikabel and @Home, creating a group of regional cable operators that could be combined.

  Action taken

  Cinven and Warburg Pincus purchased Casema for a reported €2.1 billion and pursued the combination of the three cable businesses.

  Aftermath

  The transaction was followed by the merger of Casema, Multikabel, and @Home into Ziggo in May 2008.

  Reported acquisition price. €2.1 billion (July 2006)

  Source

1. 1Casemaen.wikipedia.org