Formula One suitors Sky and others to find out fate soon
Winning bid for the sporting franchise expected to be announced in next few weeks
- Deal may value the racing series at around $8 billion
The sale of motor racing franchise Formula 1 could be completed in the next few weeks, according to the Wall Street Journal, and British broadcaster Sky are said to be one of the frontrunners to buy the business.
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A number of bidders are interested in the purchase, including Sky, Discovery Communications and Liberty Global, and the deal is expected to value the motorsport company at at least $8bn
Formula One holds various races around the world in exotic cities such as Monte Carlo and Kuala Lumpur, with a number of luxurious car manufacturers sponsoring teams and drivers, including Ferrari and Mercedes.
Sky currently broadcasts the sport on a specific Formula One channel, reaching millions of viewers for their races.
In 2006, private equity firm CVC Capital Partners bought a controlling stake in the business, but has since reduced that to 35%. It is unclear how much of the company will be sold.
Rights to show popular sporting events are considered increasingly valuable for channel distributors and advertisers amid a rise in ad-skipping technology and web-based entertainment.