CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tribune Co has agreed to terms for the sale of the Chicago Cubs to a group led by private equity investor Marc Utay, giving the company two offers to submit to the bankruptcy court, two sources familiar with the sale process said on Tuesday. It is the latest twist in a long-running effort by the bankrupt media company to sell the baseball team famous for its "lovable losers" image. On Monday, a source said the Ricketts family had agreed to terms for the purchase of the team and other assets for slightly less than the $900 million it offered in January. The source called it a "handshake" agreement and not a signed document.
The largest buyout of the year is now half as large, from the lead sponsor's point of view. Before even closing its agreed-upon $1.8 billion buyout of Korean beer-maker Oriental Brewery, buyout firm KKR has decided to sell half of the company to Asia-focused buyout firm Affinity Equity Partners. Affinity will help the firm bear the equity load and "share investment risks." The surprising part here is pricing-Affinity gets a 50% stake in Oriental Brewery for a mere $400 million. That's just 22% of what KKR paid for the company, meaning Affinity is getting a half-off discount to the total deal value. Why would KRR let Affinity in for such a cheap valuation? The answer lies in the debt. When you break down the company's capital structure, you find that Affinity is actually paying a small premium.
BVK Holdings, publisher of New Track Media, has acquired CK Media LLC, publisher of quilting, sewing, and scrapbooking magazines. No financial terms were disclosed. BVK is a portfolio company of Boston Ventures.
It is no secret that media has long been a very popular sector among private equity investors. Its popularity was shared among lenders, who were willing to lend to media companies at much higher multiples than they would to other industries because of the underlying franchise or license value. The bad news for media investors and lenders is that the 2007 to 2009 period is no normal cyclical downturn, and the oligopolistic franchise value no longer exists. The advertising revenue base and valuation multiples for radio and magazine companies have experienced a permanent structural decline. The bulk of the decline has been driven by the loss of pricing power for radio and print advertising due to the emergence of the internet. There is also potential for further decline as consumer spending, and thus advertising, becomes a smaller share of the US economy. The good news is that there is light at the end of the tunnel for radio and magazines. Surviving the current downturn will be a victory for any media investor, yet there are opportunities for new investors to enter the industry.
PARIS (Reuters) – U.S. investment company Starwood Capital Group Global LP said it was buying around 240 of the 260 hotels run by loss-making hotel operator Golden Tulip for an undisclosed amount. Golden Tulip Hospitality Group, which went into voluntary receivership earlier this year, had at one time been discussing a possible merger with Apollo […]
Advantage Partners, a Japanese private equity firm, said on Tuesday it hopes to find a buyer for the convenience store chain am/pm Japan by September and wants to list soft drinks maker Pokka Corporation next year. Plans for am/pm to be acquired by Lawson Inc (2651.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Japan’s second-largest convenience store […]
Insphere Insurance Solutions has been launched by The Blackstone Group, Goldman Sachs and Credit Suise. It will offer life, health, long-term care and retirement products for small businesses and the middle-income market, and be run by former New York Life vice chairman Phillip Hildebrand. No financial terms were disclosed.
Roark Capital Group has agreed to acquire Pet Valu Inc. (TSX: PVC), a North American pet supplies retailer. The deal is valued at approximately C$143.7 million, or C$13.68 per Pet Valu share (4.8% premium to Friday's closing trade).
BLI Messaging, a Providence, R.I.-based provider of email, voice, fax and text messaging marketing solutions, has raised an undisclosed amount of private funding from Catalyst Investors.
Pegasus Capital Advisors has acquired a 51% equity stake in Hain Pure Protein, with Hain Celestial Group Inc. (Nasdaq: HAIN) to retain the other 49 percent. Hain Pure Protein produces natural, organic and antibiotic-free chicken and turkey products.