BSkyB In Preliminary Discussions For Interests In Sky Deutschland & Sky Italia

(RTTNews) - 21st Century Fox (FOX, FOXA) issued a statement regarding the organizational and ownership structure of its European Sky-branded satellite platforms, and said internal discussions have included BSkyB.

"Over the years we've had numerous internal discussions regarding the organizational and ownership structure of the European Sky-branded satellite platforms. From time to time these conversations have included BSkyB, however no agreement between the parties has ever been reached," the company said.

In a separate announcement, BSkyB stated that it has initiated preliminary discussions with 21st Century Fox to evaluate the potential acquisition of its pay-TV assets in Germany and Italy.

"These discussions have not progressed beyond a preliminary stage, no agreement has been reached on terms, value or transaction structure and there is no certainty that a transaction will occur," BSkyB said.

BSkyB believes at the right value, the combination would have the potential to create a world-class multinational pay TV group.

21st Century Fox is the world's premier portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets spanning six continents across the globe. The company provides premium content to millions of subscribers through its pay-television services in Europe and Asia, including Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia and its equity interests in BSkyB and Tata Sky.