UBM Considers Sell Off Of Stake In Five

United Business Media is preparing to offload its 35% stake in Five, reports over the weekend have claimed, with 65% stakeholder, RTL Group, in line to purchase the remaining share for £200 million.

The Sunday Express claims that the two groups have held talks over the deal, which could be completed within two months as UBM considers Five as a non-core business.

Rumours of a possible sale by UBM last surfaced in March, with speculative reports claiming that the company would offload its stake in Five before the departure of then chief executive Lord Hollick this month (see UBM Considers Sale Of Stake In Five).

March also saw Five announce that it had doubled its profits to £18 million in the 12 months to December 2004, due mainly to a strong growth in the advertising market, although the broadcaster was also buoyed by strong ratings from American film imports and drama series (see Five Doubles Profits As Ad Revenue Rises).

Five: 020 7550 5555 www.five.tv UBM: 020 7921 5000: www.unitedbusinessmedia.com