Évasion, Zeste join TVA in $18m takeover

TVA Group, a division of Quebecor Media in Canada, is buying the Serdy Média and Serdy Vidéo group of companies for C$24m (US$18.7m).

France Lauzière

The deal will see TVA Group add two specialty channels, Évasion and Zeste, to its line-up.

TVA Group has been a founding shareholder of Évasion, which focuses on travel, tourism, adventure and food, since the channel was created in 2000. Zeste, founded in 2010, is a cooking and lifestyle network.

“These acquisitions are part of TVA Group’s broader content diversification strategy. We’re confident that by joining our group both channels will reach larger audiences on all platforms, and will benefit from additional resources that will help them grow their reach,” said France Lauzière, president and CEO of TVA Group and chief content officer at Quebecor Content.

“This wasn’t an easy decision but it was the right decision, and necessary to sustain both channels’ growth. In a fast-changing media landscape, independent specialty channels are finding it increasingly challenging to capture the public’s attention,” said Sébastien Arsenault, president and CEO of Serdy Média and Serdy Vidéo.

“After more than 15 years at the helm, I am very happy to pass the torch to TVA. They are in the best position to secure the future of the two channels for the years to come.”