Rupert Murdoch is to remove some of the core assets from his digital group, Sky Global, in order to pave the way for a merger with US satellite operator DirecTV, according to a report in the Financial Times this morning.
Murdoch is understood to be slimming down Sky Global’s assets in order to reduce the eventual tax liability that will be dropped on General Motors, parent of Hughes Electronics, itself the parent of DirecTV. Murdoch’s News Corporation is therefore expected to remove German electronic programme guide business, Gemstar, and NDS from the transaction.
Echostar, another US satellite television operator is also thought to be considering a bid for DirecTV, increasing the pressure on News Corp to seal the deal.
