Irish sports broadcaster Setanta Sports has received takeover approaches from several media companies and is evaluating whether to conduct an auction, according to company sources.
The company is said to be discussing its next move with financial adviser Goldman Sachs. A report in the Sunday Telegraphnewspaper yesterday said Setanta was at the centre of €1.3 billion-offer for the business.
Setanta and Goldman Sachs have so far both declined to comment.
BT, Virgin Media and US giant Disney - owner of the ESPN sports television network - are all mooted as potential bidders for the business.
Setanta, founded in 1992, scored a major breakthrough in May 2006 when it broke Bskyb's monopoly on live Premiership matches. It paid £392 million for the rights to 46 top flight games each season under a three-year deal which began in August 2007.
The broadcaster now has more than three million subscribers, including two million via the Virgin Media platform.
Investment bank Goldman Sachs - also a shareholder in the business - has been asked by fellow investors to handle potential offers for the business, the Sunday Telegraphsaid. According to the paper, Goldman owns around a fifth of the business.
The two founders of the business, Irishmen Michael O'Rourke and Leonard Ryan, are said to own around a fifth of the company between them.
PA, agencies