MONTRÉAL, June 14,
2024 /CNW/ - Videotron Ltd. ("Videotron")
today announced the pricing of its $600 million aggregate
principal amount of 4.650% Series 1 Senior Notes due July 15, 2029 (the "Series 1 Notes")
and $400 million aggregate principal amount of 5.000% Series 2
Senior Notes due July 15, 2034 (the
"Series 2 Notes" and, together with the Series
1 Notes, the "Notes") (this offering, the
"Offering"). The Series 1 Notes will be sold at $999.47 per $1,000
principal amount of Series 1 Notes and the Series 2 Notes will be
sold at $996.75 per $1,000 principal amount of Series 2 Notes.
Videotron intends to use the net proceeds of this Offering to repay
existing indebtedness, which may include a portion of the revolving
facility drawings under Videotron's credit agreement and repayment
of a portion of Videotron's existing notes. The Offering is
expected to close on or about June 21, 2024,
subject to customary closing conditions.
"Shortly after obtaining an investment grade rating from S&P
Global Ratings and Moody's Ratings, I am very proud to announce
that Videotron has just priced its first issuance of investment
grade notes", said Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Quebecor. "The great success of this
transaction demonstrates the financial markets' trust in Videotron
and marks a major step in reducing its borrowing costs," he
added.
This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or
the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of
securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or
sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under
the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
The Notes are being offered in Canada on a private placement basis in
reliance upon exemptions from the prospectus requirements under
applicable securities legislation. The Notes have not been and will
not be qualified for sale to the public under applicable securities
laws in Canada and, accordingly,
any offer and sale of the Notes in Canada will be made on a basis which is exempt
from the prospectus requirements of such securities laws.
The Notes and the related guarantees have not been and will not
be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 or
applicable state securities laws, and the Notes may not be offered
or sold in the United States
absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration.
The Notes have not been and will not be qualified for sale to the
public under applicable Canadian securities laws and, accordingly,
any offer and sale of the Notes in Canada will be made on a basis which is exempt
from the prospectus and dealer registration requirements of such
securities laws.
Videotron (www.videotron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary
of Quebecor Media Inc. (www.quebecor.com), is an integrated
communications company engaged in television, entertainment,
Internet access, wireline telephone and mobile telephone
services.
Forward‑Looking
Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking information" within
the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of United States federal securities legislation
(collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements other
than statements of historical facts included in this press release,
including statements regarding the prospects of our industry and
our prospects, plans, financial position and business strategy, may
constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts
and projections about the industries in which we operate as well as
beliefs and assumptions made by our management. Such statements
include, in particular, statements about our plans, prospects,
financial position and business strategies. Words such as "may,"
"will," "expect," "continue," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate,"
"plan," "foresee," "believe," or "seek," or the negatives of these
terms or variations of them or similar terminology, are intended to
identify such forward-looking statements. Although we believe that
the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are
reasonable, these statements, by their nature, involve risks and
uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Such
statements are also subject to assumptions concerning, among other
things: our anticipated business strategies; anticipated trends in
our business; anticipated reorganizations of any of our segments or
businesses, and any related restructuring provisions or impairment
charges; and our ability to continue to control costs. We can give
no assurance that these estimates and expectations will prove to
have been correct. Actual outcomes and results may, and often do,
differ from what is expressed, implied or projected in such
forward-looking statements, and such differences may be material.
Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to: our ability to successfully
continue developing our network and facilities-based mobile
services; general economic, financial or market conditions and
variations in our businesses; the intensity of competitive activity
in the industries in which we operate; new technologies that might
change consumer behaviour toward our product suite; unanticipated
higher capital spending required to develop our network or to
address the continued development of competitive alternative
technologies, or the inability to obtain additional capital to
continue the development of our business; our ability to implement
successfully our business and operating strategies and manage our
growth and expansion; risks relating to the acquisition of Freedom
Mobile Inc. ("Freedom"), including our ability to successfully
integrate Freedom's operations and to realize synergies, and
potential unknown liabilities or costs associated with the
acquisition of Freedom; the anticipated benefits and effects of the
acquisition of Freedom, which may not be realized in a timely
manner or at all, and ongoing operating costs and capital
expenditures, which could be different than anticipated, as well as
unanticipated litigation or other regulatory proceedings associated
with the acquisition of Freedom, which could result in changes to
the parameters of the transaction; the impacts of the significant
and recurring investments that will be required in our new Freedom,
Videotron mobile virtual network operator and other markets for
development and expansion and to compete effectively with the
incumbent local exchange carriers and other current or potential
competitors in these markets, including the fact that the post
acquisition our business will continue to face the same risks that
we currently face, but will also face increased risks relating to
new geographies and markets; disruptions to the network through
which we provide our digital television, Internet access, mobile
and wireline telephony and over-the-top video services, and our
ability to protect such services from piracy, unauthorized access
or other security breaches; labour disputes or strikes; service
interruptions resulting from equipment breakdown, network failure,
the threat of natural disasters, epidemics, pandemics and other
public health crises and political instability in some countries;
the impact of emergency measures implemented by various
levels of government; changes in our ability to obtain services and
equipment critical to our operations; changes in laws and
regulations, or in their interpretations, which could result, among
other things, in the loss (or reduction in value) of our licenses
or markets or in an increase in competition, compliance costs or
capital expenditures; our substantial indebtedness, the tightening
of credit markets, and the restrictions on our business imposed by
the terms of our debt; and interest rate fluctuations that affect a
portion of our interest payment requirements on long-term debt. We
caution you that the above list of cautionary statements is not
exhaustive. These and other factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from our expectations expressed in the
forward-looking statements included in this press release, and you
are encouraged to read "Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors" as
well as statements located elsewhere in Videotron's annual report
on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31,
2023, and Videotron's Quarterly Report under Form 6-K for
the three-month period ended March 31,
2024, including Management's Discussion and Analysis and
unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements
included therein for further details and descriptions of these and
other factors. Each of these forward-looking statements speaks only
as of the date of this press release. We will not update these
statements unless applicable securities laws require us to do
so.
SOURCE Videotron Ltd.