Private equity investors to buy 24% in NDTV Networks

A number of private equity investors including Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, etc. would acquire nearly 24% stake in NDTV Networks, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NDTV India, for $120 mn. NDTV Networks is a UK-based company and has five companies in its fold. It holds 100% in NDTV Labs, which will develop market and sell software and technology products; NDTV Imagine, which will operate a non-news Hindi mass entertainment channel; NDTV Lifestyle, which will provide content to TV channels in India and abroad; and NDTV Convergence, which would house all dotcom and mobile properties of the group. NDTV Networks also owns 50% in NDTV Media Services with Genpact for media process outsourcing.

NDTV India controls news channels, NDTV 24×7, NDTV Profit, among others. The company is also believed to have scrapped its initial public offer for the moment and may reconsider it later.

Read the Business Standard article.

NDTV Networks discusses stake sale to Blackstone; may list on LSE AIM

Rumour has it that Blackstone is probably looking at buying a stake in NDTV Networks, an NDTV Group company as part of an investment consortium. NDTV Networks plans to raise $130-160 mn by diluting 25-30% to the consortium, valuing the company at $433-640 mn. The money raised will be used for establishing new channels and businesses. NDTV Networks intends to list on the London Stock Exchange AIM market by the stake sale. Jefferies International Limited is the merchant banker to the issue.

Blackstone had recently invested $275 mn in Hyderabad-based Ushodaya Enterprises, owners of Eenadu and ETV, and Ramoji Rao Film City, one of the largest investments by a private equity fund in an Indian media company (See Related Post).

NDTV Networks will invest $106 mn of the cash in NDTV Imagine Limited, a Hindi mass entertainment channel with film director Karan Johar as partner, and $25.3 mn in NDTV Lifestyle Limited, a channel dedicated to travel, food, shopping, health and wellness. NDTV Networks also owns NDTV Labs, which develops technology and software solutions for TV broadcasting, NDTV Convergence, which owns and operates websites, and 50% in NDTV Media Services Private Limited, a JV with Genpact India Holdings, a media process outsourcing firm for overseas clients.

Read the Business Standard article.