Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) is said to be in early talks to acquire rival fixed broadband provider TalkTalk, British broadsheet The Telegraph reports. According to the press outlet, which cites unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter, bankers at LionTree working on behalf of VMO2 have made an initial approach to sound out TalkTalk regarding a possible deal. It has been suggested by The Telegraph’s ‘banking sources’, meanwhile, that VMO2 may be considering a move for TalkTalk with a view to bolstering its position in the lower-priced sector of the country’s fixed broadband market amid the UK’s ongoing cost of living crisis.
In terms of the potential transaction value, another British newspaper, The Guardian, claims that TalkTalk and its bankers Lazard believe that the former company is worth as much as GBP3 billion (USD3.6 billion).