News Corp. (NASDAQ:NWSA) is considering possible options for its Australian pay-TV and streaming business Foxtel after several takeover bids. News Corp rose by 1.4% on Friday.
“We had no immediate intention to sell Foxtel, but are reviewing possible strategic and financial options for business with our consultants and working with third parties in light of this external interest,” said News Corp CEO Robert Thomson at the Conference call on the second quarter results on Thursday.
Thomson described the interest in Foxtel as a “significant offer”.
“We have received an offer that is long overdue and we are of course evaluating it. But let me be very clear that we have full confidence in the potential of Foxtel and our talented team at Foxtel who have created a world-class viewing experience and developed Kayo, which is truly the best streaming platform in the world. Hence our interest in replicating their success in the US,” Thomson added.
News Corp. (NWSA) owns about 65% of Foxtel, while Telstra Group (OTCPK:TLGPY) owns the rest.
As News Corp announced in its second-quarter results on Thursday, Foxtel had nearly 4.7 million paying subscribers as of June 30, an increase of 1% from the previous year.