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YouTube TV will pay roughly $2 billion a year for the rights of the Sunday Ticket package, according to people familiar with the matter. Amazon secured the rights to “Thursday Night Football,” making it the first streaming-only platform to air NFL games, paying about $1 billion per year. YouTube TV is an internet bundle of broadcast and cable networks that mirrors a traditional linear pay-TV operator. The company has been expanding its sports footprint for its Apple TV+ streaming service. DirecTV is interested in delivering Sunday Ticket games in a similar capacity, people familiar with the matter have said.

☆ NFL 'Sunday Ticket' goes to YouTube in seven-year, $2 billion annual deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Patrick Mcdermott | Getty ImagesIn the latter option, consumers will be able to subscribe only to "Sunday Ticket" without having a YouTube TV subscription. NFL Media not includedThe deal with YouTube TV does not include a stake in NFL Media, which includes the linear cable channels NFL Network and RedZone, as well as NFL.com. Prasad said Thursday the NFL is still evaluating potential partners for NFL Media, "but there's no specific initiative right now." It's the last NFL package to land a media rights renewal. Amazon secured the rights to "Thursday Night Football," making it the first streaming-only platform to air NFL games, paying about $1 billion per year.

☆ 12 media executives anonymously predict 2023's biggest deals, trends and changes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Candle Media has acquired intellectual property assets including Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine production company and Moonbug, which owns the animated kids series "CoComelon." Executive 3: Iger extends his contract There's been lots of speculation over who Iger will choose as his successor. History suggests he has a hard time leaving the role of Disney CEO. Christine M. McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer The Walt Disney Company. "I love Shari [Redstone], but ViacomCBS is not long for this world as it stands today," said a media executive last year.

Dec 17 (Reuters) - L3Harris Technologies Inc (LHX.N) is nearing a $4.7 billion deal to acquire U.S. rocket maker Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc (AJRD.N), 10 months after the latter's $4.4 billion sale to Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) fell through, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. L3Harris is a defense contractor that is mostly a competitor rather than a customer of Aerojet. Aerojet's solid fuel rocket motors and other propulsion systems would help L3Harris expand its space defense systems and precision munitions businesses. Spokespeople for Aerojet, L3Harris and General Electric did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Its customers include the Pentagon, Boeing (BA.N), Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies Corp (RTX.N).

Marriott Bonvoy loyalty members currently have the opportunity to bid Marriott points on Super Bowl LVII packages through the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program. Even better, now through Dec. 20, Chase is offering a 40% bonus when transferring points to Marriott, so you'll actually get 1.4 Marriott points for every Chase point you transfer. Bottom lineSuper Bowl tickets are expensive, but if you have a hoard of Marriott Bonvoy points you may be able to win packages available through the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program. These Super Bowl packages are being sold to the highest bidders and include tickets to the game, hotel accommodations, and exclusive experiences. Unfortunately, if you don't have enough Marriott points to win one of the Super Bowl packages you may have a tough time using them to save money on hotel stays.

☆ Chief of Mexico's Mifel says it is still in bidding process for Citibanamex
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Mexico's Banca Mifel is still in the bidding process for Citigroup's (C.N) Mexican retail bank Citibanamex, Mifel's head Daniel Becker told Reuters on Wednesday. Speaking at an event hosted by Mexico's banking association, Becker - the bank's chairman and CEO - said the race was not over, but declined to comment further. The competition to buy one of Mexico's biggest retail banks has narrowed to two bidders, with smaller rival Mifel, in conjunction with a band of investors, battling billionaire German Larrea's conglomerate Grupo Mexico (GMEXICOB.MX). The two remaining bidders are now conducting further due diligence on the business, sources told Reuters late last month. Reporting by Valentine Hilaire; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India bank sale sharpens valuation rivalry
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial (8316.T), Carlyle (CG.O) and Fairfax Financial (FFH.TO) may each be eyeing some of the 61% stake on offer in $7 billion IDBI Bank (IDBI.NS), per reports by The Economic Times and Mint. These latecomers’ share of outstanding loans fell to 55% in March 2022 from 70% in 2016, per Reserve Bank of India data. CONTEXT NEWSIndia on Dec. 14 extended the deadline to submit preliminary bids for the sale of a controlling stake in IDBI Bank to Jan. 7 from Dec. 16. New Delhi intends to sell 30.48%; Life Insurance Corporation of India, which is almost entirely government-owned, will sell a 30.24% stake. Carlyle, Fairfax Financial and DBS Bank are considering bidding for at least 10% each in IDBI Bank, Mint reported on Nov. 7, citing unnamed sources.

[1/2] A worker shelters from the rain under a Union Flag umbrella as he passes the London Stock Exchange in London, Britain, October 1, 2008. An investor in Wood Group (WG.L), an oilfield services company, urged the company to buy back some of its own shares to avoid being a target. The domestically-focused FTSE 250 (.FTMC) is down by almost a fifth this year while the internationally-focused blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) is up 0.8% thanks to a drop in the pound. A currency advantage alone does not necessarily kick-start deals though, according to Owain Evans, co-head of UK M&A for Goldman Sachs. "Large corporates continue to look at 'bolt-ons', where they can draw on existing facilities to do those deals, that's why the mid-cap space is attractive to the strategics in this environment," said Celia Murray, head of UK M&A at JPMorgan.

☆ Amgen to buy Horizon Therapeutics for $26.40 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) will buy rare disease drugmaker Horizon Therapeutics Plc (HZNP.O) for $26.40 billion, it said on Monday, in its biggest deal ever that gives the biotech company access to blockbuster thyroid eye disease treatment Tepezza. The offer values Horizon at $27.8 billion on a fully diluted basis, according to the company, which includes ordinary shares to be vested. Based on Reuters calculations, it values Horizon at $26.40 billion. The offer values Horizon at $28.3 billion, including debt. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday reported that Amgen was close to acquiring Horizon after the other bidders pulled out of the race.

☆ Tech firm says “you’re welcome” with $8 bln LBO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Coupa Software (COUP.O) wants its investors to know one thing: Business is terrible. The developer of corporate expenditure-tracking software released a presentation Monday after announcing an $8 billion deal to be sold to private equity firm Thoma Bravo. Once the domain of hockey-stick growth charts and wild-eyed optimism, the humbling of the software industry promises a new era of real-talk. Coupa’s Thoma agreement comes after near-5% shareholder HMI Capital Management warned management about selling on the cheap. So Coupa came prepared with a bevy of charts showing growth stalling and management expectations below even analyst estimates.

☆ Mexico president says two bidders remaining for Citi's local retail bank
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday there are two remaining parties bidding to buy the Mexican retail arm of U.S. banking giant Citigroup . Lopez Obrador expects the bid for one of Mexico's biggest banks to be resolved in the beginning of 2023, he said during a regular news conference. Sources have told Reuters billionaire German Larrea's conglomerate Grupo Mexico (GMEXICOB.MX) is battling Daniel Becker's smaller Banca Mifel to buy the lender. Citigroup Chief Executive Officer Jane Fraser has been looking to simplify the firm by selling off some its international operations. Reporting by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Temasek's PSA evaluates multi-billion dollar exit from Hutchison Ports-sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Port operator PSA International, fully owned by Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings, is considering selling its multi-billion dollar, 20% stake in the ports business of CK Hutchison Holdings (0001.HK), two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. PSA, the world's second-biggest container terminal operator, whose global network encompasses 160 locations in 42 countries, had acquired the stake in the Hong Kong-based conglomerate's ports business for $4.4 billion in 2006. Both Temasek and CK Hutchison, the conglomerate of retired billionaire Li Ka-shing, declined to comment. Temasek reported a nearly 6% rise in its portfolio value to a record S$403 billion ($297 billion) in the year to March 2022. Economic conditions have worsened since then, with global markets selling off along with a sharp increase in interest rates.

A spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn declined to comment. Schenker, which provides logistics for sea, land and air freight, recently accounted for more than a third of Deutsche Bahn's sales. "The cash flows generated as part of a sale remain entirely within the Deutsche Bahn Group," the proposal document continues. Tough financing conditions could also lead to a decision not to sell, particularly if Deutsche Bahn is not satisfied with price, two sources said. Private equity would struggle to finance such an amount unless Deutsche Bahn decided to part with a minority stake instead, this source added.

☆ European energy firms dominate landmark California offshore wind auction
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The auction began on Tuesday and ended Wednesday, the offshore wind industry's first chance to snag leases in waters off the U.S. West Coast. "Today’s lease sale is further proof that industry momentum -- including for floating offshore wind development -- is undeniable," U.S. Winners of the five leases were mainly divisions of European energy companies already developing projects in the U.S. offshore wind market. "The macroeconomic environment has hardened significantly over the last six to 12 months," said Alon Carmel, a partner at consultancy PA Consulting who advises offshore wind companies. About 100 megawatts of floating wind capacity is currently installed in the world compared with 50 gigawatts (GW) for conventional offshore wind.

☆ California first offshore wind auction surpasses $500 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 7 (Reuters) - The first ever auction of offshore wind development rights off the coast of California was in its second day on Wednesday, with high bids topping half a billion dollars. There is currently about 100 megawatts of floating wind capacity installed in the world, compared with 50 gigawatts (GW) for conventional offshore wind, Zaidi noted. Previous federal offshore wind auctions have all been for leases in shallower waters of the Atlantic Ocean. High bids on individual leases ranged between $95.3 million and $148.8 million, according to live auction results on the BOEM web site. They include established offshore wind players like Avangrid Inc (AGR.N), Orsted (ORSTED.CO) and Equinor (EQNR.OL), which are all developing projects on the U.S. East Coast, as well as potential new entrants, including Swedish floating wind developer Hexicon (HEXI.ST) and Macquarie (MQG.AX) unit Corio.

☆ California offshore wind auction bids top $460 mln on day two
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 7 (Reuters) - The first ever auction of offshore wind development rights off the coast of California entered its second day on Wednesday, with high bids topping $460 million. Previous federal offshore wind auctions have all been for leases in shallower waters of the Atlantic Ocean. After 22 rounds of bidding, high bids totaled a combined $462.1 million. Two leases off the central coast had commanded high bids of more than $100 million, with the remaining leases attracting high bids in a range of $62.7 million to $98.8 million, according to live auction results on the BOEM web site. The identities of the bidders are not disclosed during the auction, but 43 companies had been approved to participate.

☆ First-ever California offshore wind auction surpasses $757 million in bids
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced more than $757 million in winning bids for its auction of offshore wind development rights in California, marking the third offshore wind lease sale this year and the first ever for the Pacific region. The sale is a major milestone in the administration's goal of building offshore wind turbines across the nation's coastlines to help power communities and transition to clean energy. The White House, as part of its broader agenda to address climate change, has committed to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, enough to power 10 million homes. "Floating wind technology in its early stages but it is an advanced technology that will lead to strong growth in the deployment of offshore wind." Winning bidders include California North Floating, RWE Offshore Wind Holdings, Central California Offshore Wind and Invenergy California Offshore.

☆ U.S. kicks off first California coast offshore wind auction
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 6 (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday is set to kick off the first sale of offshore wind development rights for waters off the coast of California, expanding the nascent domestic industry to the Pacific Ocean. "It puts California on a path to be a global hub for offshore wind technology," JC Sandberg, interim chief executive of the American Clean Power Association, said on a call with reporters. Previous federal offshore wind auctions have all been for leases in shallower waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The California sale is viewed as a test of industry appetite for investing in floating offshore wind technology, which to date has been limited to small pilot projects in places including Norway and Portugal. Companies approved to bid at the auction include established offshore wind players like Avangrid Inc (AGR.N), Orsted (ORSTED.CO) and Equinor (EQNR.OL), which are all developing projects on the U.S. East Coast.

☆ Sale jumpstarts floating, offshore wind power in U.S. waters
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The cost of developing offshore wind has dropped 60% since 2010 according to a July report by the International Renewable Energy Agency. Offshore wind is well established in the U.K. and some other countries but is just beginning to ramp up off America’s coasts, and this is the nation’s first foray into floating wind turbines. Europe has some floating offshore wind — a project in the North Sea has been operating since 2017 — but the potential for the technology is huge in areas of strong wind off America’s coasts, said Josh Kaplowitz, vice president of offshore wind at the American Clean Power Association. President Joe Biden set a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 using traditional technology that secures wind turbines to the ocean floor, enough to power 10 million homes. Then the administration announced plans in September to develop floating platforms that could vastly expand offshore wind in the United States.

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Industrial conglomerate General Electric Co (GE.N) and defense contractor L3Harris Technologies Inc (LHX.N) are among those competing to acquire rocket maker Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc (AJRD.N), according to people familiar with the matter. Aircraft producer Textron Inc (TXT.N) and private equity firm Veritas Capital are also vying to acquire El Segundo, California-based Aerojet, which has a market value of about $4 billion, the sources said. Aerojet has been running a process to sell itself after its $4.4 billion sale to Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) was thwarted by antitrust regulators in February, Reuters has previously reported. Spokespeople for Aerojet, General Electric, Textron and Veritas Capital did not respond to requests for comment. Its customers include the Pentagon, Boeing (BA.N), Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies Corp (RTX.N).

☆ Nigeria's Lagos shortlists Mota-Engil, Chinese ventures for $2.5 bln bridge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, Nov 27 (Reuters) - A consortium led by Portugal's builder Mota-Engil and two Chinese ventures has been shortlisted by Nigeria's Lagos state to build a $2.5 billion bridge that is expected to relieve severe congestion in the mega city, an official said on Sunday. The 37 kilometre Fourth Mainland Bridge, will be built under a public-private partnership. It will include three toll plazas, nine interchanges and a design speed of 120 kilometres per hour, said Jubril Gawat, a senior spokesperson for the Lagos state governor. Mota-Engil is partnering with China Communication and Construction Corporation and China Road and Bridge Corporation in the bid. China Gezhouba Group Company and China Geo-Engineering Corporation joint venture and a consortium led by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation are the two other shortlisted bidders.

☆ Citi Mexico suitor Mifel enlists Apollo, ADIA to fund bid -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro | David French | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON/NEW YORK, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Mexico's Banca Mifel has lined up investors including Apollo Global Management and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) to fund a bid for Citigroup Inc’s (C.N) Mexican retail bank, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The debt financing could attract more investors to join in Mifel's bid to buy Citibanamex, although there is enough funding already in place to fully support Mifel's proposal, one of the sources said. The competition to buy one of Mexico’s biggest banks has narrowed to two bidders, with smaller rival Mifel, led by Daniel Becker, battling billionaire German Larrea's conglomerate Grupo Mexico (GMEXICOB.MX). The two remaining bidders are now conducting further due diligence on the business, also known as Banamex, the sources said. Representatives from Mifel and Grupo Mexico did not immediately respond to emails and phone calls requesting comment.

☆ Atlantia set to be delisted as buyout bid reaches 90% threshold
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A buyout offer launched by the Benetton family and U.S. investment fund Blackstone (BX.N) for Italy's Atlantia (ATL.MI) has reached the 90% threshold for the deal to proceed and trigger the company's delisting, the bidders said on Thursday. The bid initially failed to reach the threshold but was then reopened for another five days and closes on Friday. The bidders' vehicle named Schema Alfa said in a statement the planned delisting would happen "as soon as possible in the following weeks". The enterprise value of the deal was around 54 billion euros ($56.32 billion) based on Atlantia's debt level at the end of last year. Atlantia shares closed at 22.95 euros on Wednesday, just below the 23 euros per share Schema Alfa is offering to pay.

☆ List of bidders for Citigroup's Mexican retail arm shrinks as Inbursa drops out
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Valentine Hilaire | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Mexican bank Grupo Financiero Inbursa (GFINBURO.MX) said on Wednesday it had pulled out of the bidding process for U.S. bank Citigroup's Mexican retail arm Citibanamex. Carlos Slim's Inbursa and German Larrea's Grupo Mexico (GMEXICOB.MX) were seen as the frontrunners in bidding for Citibanamex, known also as Banamex. "We considered from the beginning (of the bid) that it was going to be difficult for a player in the sector to make such an acquisition. Other heavyweight names such as Grupo Financiero Banorte (GFNORTEO.MX), Spanish bank Santander (SAN.MC) and media tycoon Ricardo Salinas have previously also pulled out of the process. Reporting by Carolina Pulice and Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Anthony Esposito, Stephen Coates and Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mexico's Inbursa drops bid for Citigroup's Mexican retail arm Citibanamex
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Mexican bank Grupo Financiero Inbursa (GFINBURO.MX) said on Wednesday it had pulled out of the bidding process for U.S. bank Citigroup's Mexican retail arm Citibanamex. "Inbursa confirms that, following submission of a non-binding proposal for the businesses in question, the parties mutually agreed that Inbursa will not be continuing to the next stages of the process," it said in a filing. Mexican corporate titans Carlos Slim's Inbursa and German Larrea's Grupo Mexico (GMEXICOB.MX) were seen as the frontrunners in bidding for Citibanamex, known too as Banamex. Earlier this month, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said there are at least three remaining bidders for Banamex. Reporting by Carolina Pulice and Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Anthony EspositoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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