Sonic to acquire DivX

NOVATO & SAN DIEGO, USA: Sonic Solutions and DivX Inc. jointly announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement for Sonic Solutions to acquire DivX, Inc., a leading digital media company, based in San Diego, California.

Under the terms of the agreement, approved by the boards of directors of both companies, Sonic would acquire all the outstanding shares of DivX and merge DivX operations into those of Sonic. DivX stockholders would receive a combination of cash and stock equal to $3.75 in cash and 0.514 shares of Sonic common stock for each share of DivX they hold.

The acquisition, which is expected to close in September 2010, is subject to approval of the shareholders of both companies as well as applicable regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

For over 20 years, Sonic has been the leader in developing technologies for the preparation and delivery of entertainment content in popular formats — CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc and most recently Internet delivery of video.

The acquisition of DivX is expected to advance Sonic’s mission to deliver technology that makes it easy and convenient for retailers, online services, Hollywood studios, and manufacturers of CE and mobile devices to distribute premium digital video content over the Internet.

DivX is expected to enable Sonic to deepen and broaden the technology it offers for Internet-based video delivery and expand its relationships with leading retailers and consumer electronics manufacturers.

DivX is a leading digital media company that enables consumers to enjoy a high-quality video experience across any kind of device. The DivX brand is recognized worldwide and supported by a community of millions of consumers.

DivX technology — encoders for formatting video, decoders for playback, and digital rights management (DRM) for content protection — resides on over 300 million devices shipped into the global market from all major CE manufacturers including over 8,500 models of digital televisions, DVD and Blu-ray Disc players, and over 80 different mobile handsets. In addition, the DivX web properties enjoy more than 12 million unique visits each month.