US investment group Providence is moving ahead with plans to sell German home shopping TV network HSE24.
Providence has selected Apax, BC Partners and Pamplona as second-round bidders, reports Reuters with reference to several people close to the matter.
The suitors will get management presentations next week with a view to getting ready for final bids in a few weeks for the asset which is expected to fetch more than €1.5 billion, according to the report
The simultaneous preparations for a pre-summer flotation (IPO) of HSE24 on the Frankfurt stock exchange are currently not the first choice, but may be revived if final bids come in below expectations, reports Reuters.
HSE24 launched in 1995 as Germany’s first home shopping channel under the name H.O.T. (Home Order Television). The broadcaster which mainly competes with Liberty’s QVC also covers Austria and Switzerland and operates subsidiaries in Italy and Russia. In 2012, Providence acquired the majority stake.