The Carlyle Group is reportedly considering making, or has already made, a $8 billion bid for Virgin Media Group, the cable television and communications group formed by the merger of NTL and Telewest.
The media is all over it; the latest story is here.
Virgin Media has been the subject of takeover speculation for some time, and a host of private equity names, including Providence, The Blackstone Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts are thought to have approached the company in the past 12 months. News that Carlyle is poised to make its offer formal could spark a bidding war for Virgin Media, which has appointed investment bank Goldman Sachs to advise on its options.
The sources confirmed that the talks are at a very early stage and that, contrary to reports, this is the first time that Carlyle has made any approach to Virgin Media.
