CEO of BSkyB, Jeremy Darroch, says he is interested in buying UKTV and claims BSkyB is looking broadly at acquisition targets. The comments come a week after it emerged that Virgin Media is considering selling its 50% stake in UKTV, which it co-owns with BBC Worldwide.
"We will look at acquisitions if we think they can advance our strategy, areas like content have been a prime area of focus for us." Darroch said, speaking at a conference in Florida. "There's been some speculation, just by way of an example, around UKTV. I don't know if that will come back on the market ... but I think that would be something we would look at."
Last week, Virgin Media reported a GBP241m (USD339m) net loss for Q4 2008 after slashing the value of its home-shopping business Sit-up. Although Virgin has not publicly said it will sell its UKTV stake, speculation emerged in January that Channel 4 may buy UKTV. The deal could act as the basis of a partnership deal with BBC Worldwide.
As a joint partner in UKTV, BBC Worldwide has first right of refusal on buying the business. The venture includes branded TV channels such as UKTV History and UKTV Gold, as well as comedy station Dave.
StrategyEye's related categories: TV Channels - General TV, Broadcasters - Satellite TV
StrategyEye's related companies: UKTV, Channel 4, BSkyB, Virgin Media, BBC Worldwide
