Blackstone, BC Partners ‘considering bids’ for Com Hem

Bloomberg reports that Blackstone Group is among several private equity firms considering bids of more than USD2.8 billion for Swedish cableco Com Hem. Among other possible bidders are Stockholm-based Nordic Capital, San Francisco-based Hellman & Friedman and London-based CVC Capital Partners and BC Partners, according to five people with knowledge of the situation, who declined to be identified because the plans are private. Carlyle Group and Providence Equity Partners are selling Com Hem after acquiring the company in 2006. Com Hem was formerly a subsidiary of Swedish incumbent telco TeliaSonera, which sold the asset to EQT, the buyout arm of Investor AB, in 2003. TeliaSonera has recently been reported to have made enquiries to Swedish regulators about the possibility of repurchasing Com Hem.