Well, ....... the beginning of the end is finally beginning!
Admittedly, not a very well thought-out sentence, nonetheless, Vivendi is now in the process of accepting FINAL bids for the properties known as Vivendi Universal Entertainment. Thus far, the bidders appear to be as follows:
Check the URL for the entire story:
http://money.excite.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_...&date=20030818
Which bidder will make the final cut? Will any of the bids be acceptable to Vivendi?
NBC probably has the inside track and since their offer includes NO upfront cash, it probably hinges on the potential gain Vivendi can reap when they eventually cash in their stake.
Edgar Bronfman and his group of investors will either have to pony up more cash or they will be bidding adieu. Prior experience (owning and running the properties will have no bearing and it's doubtful Vivendi will be sentimental when deciding on final bids).
Liberty Media actually shot themselves in the foot when they purchased Comcast's stake in QVC. The money spent on that transaction could have been spent on acquiring VUE. Apparently Liberty wanted ALL of QVC more than it wanted VUE. Now, if Comcast were to jump in with Liberty, hmmm....there may be a deal in the making.
Viacom is mainly just here for appearance sake. Unless they align themselves with someone to take the studio and theme parks off their hands (all they want are the networks) then, they're done.
Well, that's all folks. I'm glad I don't do this for a living. There have been more twists and turns with this sale than any roller coaster I've EVER been on!!
BST
PS Thanks shiningstar and Congrats back at ya!!
