The sale of UKTV hit by delay

The question of the rights to distribute BBC material online has further delayed the sale of two joint ventures where the BBC is a stakeholder.

The first business to go under the spotlight is the very popular UKTV which has a large portfolio of digital TV channels such as UKTV gold and the light hearted comedy channel that is simply known as Dave!

The channels are worth an estimated £800 million, but Virgin Media wants to pull out and the BBC must either find a suitable partner or take on the whole project.

The other business is 2entertain which is one of the leading UK DVD and video publishers.

This business has a valuation of around £400 million and the BBC’s partner at the moment is the retail chain Woolworths who are looking to sell their share in the business.

Both deals are subject to what happens with the BBC’s online content, as the BBC plan to use the internet more, the value of the programming for both UKTV and especially 2entertain could drop, causing problems for potential new investors.

Story link: The sale of UKTV hit by delay