Vodafone has confirmed that it is in discussions over a possible partnership with the owner of Virgin Media.
The UK market is a tough place to be right now for network and TV providers that stick to their core businesses. With BT swallowing EE and Three owner Hutchinson Whampoa set to assimilate O2, as well as Sky forming a deal with O2, if you’re not offering an all-encompassing service (which many call “quad play”) you’re in danger of being left behind.
Vodafone and Virgin Media (which is owned by Liberty Global) are two sizeable companies whose services look a little incomplete right now, which is why it makes sense that there have been rumours and suggestions of a merger between the two.
This has prompted Vodafone to offer up a statement on the matter. It turns out that a merger is unlikely, but some kind of partnership is definitely in the works.
“Vodafone confirms that it is in the early stages of discussions with Liberty Global regarding a possible exchange of selected assets between the two companies,” reads the statement.
“There is no certainty that any transaction will be agreed, nor is there certainty with respect to which assets will ultimately be involved,” it adds.
Read More: BT EE Deal: Is it a good thing for consumers?
Just to drive home the point that this is in no ways a takeover, Vodafone clarifies that it “is not in discussions with Liberty Global concerning a combination of the two companies.”
Keep your eye out for a new combined quad-play offering that bundles in Virgin’s TV, broadband, and home telephone services with Vodafone’s mobile offering.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
