WarnerMedia has denied a report in the Financial Times that AT&T is looking into the possibility of selling HBO Europe in order to reduce a debt of $170 billion.
In a comment sent to Broadband TV News, John Stankey, CEO of WarnerMedia, said: “We normally do not comment on speculation, but when a news outlet is advised that their reporting is factually incorrect and report it anyway, we feel compelled to set the record straight. There is no truth whatsoever to the Financial Times’ story saying AT&T is or has considered selling HBO Europe. It’s completely baseless and inaccurate. HBO Europe is a valuable asset for our growth plans in Europe.”
The Financial Times report also said that Sky, which is owned by Comcast, would be an “obvious buyer” given its relationship with HBO.
AT&T has owned HBO, along with Turner Broadcasting Systems and Warner Brothers Studios, since it acquired Time Warner in a deal worth $80 billion last year.
HBO licences its programming to local broadcasters and pay-TV operators in more than 20 countries in Europe. It competes with Netflix and has around 10 million subscribers on the continent.
