Casema
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | January 7, 1970 |
| Fate | Merged into Ziggo |
| Successor | Ziggo |
| Headquarters | Netherlands |
Area served | Regions around The Hague, Amersfoort, Utrecht, Amstelveen, and Breda |
| Owner | Cinven, Warburg Pincus (from July 2006) |
Casema (Centrale Antenne Systemen Exploitatie Maatschappij) was a leading Dutch company providing cable TV, internet services, and fixed-line telephone connections until it merged with Multikabel and @Home to establish Ziggo on 16 May 2008. Casema's operations were mainly concentrated in the regions surrounding The Hague, Amersfoort, Utrecht, Amstelveen, and Breda.
Established on 7 January 1970, Casema initially specialized in cable television services. Up until 1998, its ownership was divided between KPN holding 75% and Netherlands Public Broadcasting owning 25%. In 1998, France Télécom took over Casema but later sold it in 2003 to private equity investors including The Carlyle Group, GMT Communications, and Providence Equity Partners.
In July 2006, the private equity firms Cinven and Warburg Pincus acquired Casema for €2.1 billion. These investors also purchased Multikabel and @Home. The three companies combined on 16 May 2008 to form Ziggo, uniting roughly 3.3 million customers; Casema accounted for approximately 1.4 million of these subscribers at that time.
See also
- Digital television in the Netherlands
- List of cable companies in the Netherlands
- Television in the Netherlands
References