KINGSTON, Jamaica — Digicel Group has announced the closure of Loop News and the upcoming final broadcast of SportsMax, as part of its strategic shift toward enterprise-focused digital solutions.

The move follows the company’s complete acquisition of Symptai, a technology advisory and cybersecurity consultancy firm, highlighting Digicel’s commitment to enhancing its capabilities in cybersecurity, data privacy and digital transformation.

“This is a strategic repositioning to ensure Digicel is best placed to deliver secure, scalable services for the future,” said Liam Donnelly, group chief business officer, in confirming the news on Tuesday. “While we are proud of the legacy of SportsMax and Loop News, we are now focused on where we can create the greatest value for our customers and the communities we serve.”

Digicel says scalable enterprise-grade solutions are IT systems designed to handle increasing workloads, users and data volumes as a business grows, while maintaining performance, reliability and efficiency and are crucial for organisations aiming to expand, innovate and stay competitive.

Loop News is closed with immediate effect, while SportsMax will broadcast for the last time on Friday, August 8.

The company said the employees affected by the change have already been informed and it has committed to providing transition support.

The Loop News website on Tuesday, instead of its traditional regional content, displayed a goodbye message to its readers across the Caribbean.

“They say all good things must come to an end and so it is, that after 11 years of proudly serving the Caribbean as a trusted media partner, Loop News is today announcing the end of our operations— We’re proud of what we have achieved and of the people who came on the journey with us. This decision marks the end of an era. While it wasn’t an easy choice, we believe it is the right one for this moment,” the media house said.

Digicel, however, said sports content that Caribbean viewers know and love will be available on other sports channels.

“We will retain eight people to manage that, this means that we will be saying goodbye to some of our co-workers and we have informed the affected individuals and begun to support them in the transition. This decision is in no way a reflection of the performance or commitment of the SportsMax and Loop News teams,” Digicel representatives told Observer Online.

Trend Media will continue to operate under Digicel Business and will double down on its ad tech and digital media management for brands.

Reflecting on the contributions from both Sportsmax and Loop, the company highlighted that since its launch in 2002, SportsMax earned its place as the ‘home of champions’, featuring local, regional and international premier sporting content and forging the careers of many successful on-air and behind-the-scenes talents. It added that, launched in 2014, Loop News also quickly became a trusted source of news, winning several awards and building an engaged community of readers and viewers.

“We extend our gratitude to the teams behind these brands and to the audiences who welcomed them into their lives,” Donnelly said.

“Their work has left a lasting mark, and we thank them for it. Likewise, we would like to thank the readers and viewers of Loop News and SportsMax for spending time with us over the years. It’s been a privilege to inform and entertain you,” he added.

Digicel Business said it now offers an “integrated suite of ICT (information and communication technology) services — including cyber, cloud, digital media, and compliance, supported by strategic partnerships and a growing demand for end-to-end managed solutions across the region”.