Private equity firm buys The Telegraph, ending two-year saga
The deal makes US-based RedBird the sole controlling owner of The Telegraph, the right-leaning British news outlet founded in 1855. Per the deal, RedBird will invest funds in The Telegraph's digital operations to help continue growing subscriptions and expand the outlet's foothold in the United States, where RedBird already has a constellation of media investments.
The deal comes after RedBird struggled for two years to acquire The Telegraph, stymied in large part by a conservative British government that restricted foreign governments from owning newspapers and capped foreign state-owned investment by a publisher at 15%. The UK's Labour Party, which swept into power in July 2024, announced last week that it would relax restrictions on foreign investment.
'This transaction marks the start of a new era for The Telegraph as we look to grow the brand in the UK and internationally, invest in its technology and expand its subscriber base,' RedBird CEO Gerry Cardinale said in a statement.
Get Reliable Sources newsletter
Sign up here to receive Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter in your inbox. In January 2024, Jeff Zucker, the former CNN president, flew to London to pitch a takeover of the media company to Ofcom on behalf of RedBird IMI, where he is the chief executive.
The Telegraph went up for sale in 2023 after Lloyds Banking Group took control of unpaid debts from the Barclay family, which acquired the newspaper in 2004. The Barclay family regained control of the Telegraph in December 2023 with the help of a loan from RedBird IMI, an Abu Dhabi-backed joint venture. However, the British government blocked the transfer of ownership to RedBird.
The Friday deal avoided that rule by providing IMI only a minority share in the paper.
RedBird's focus on the US market comes as other British media outlets, including the BBC, The Guardian, and The Independent, have expanded their US coverage, often to great success. According to a May report, The Guardian grew its overall revenue by 25% on year, while The Independent in January reported a 75% year-over-year audience increase.
RedBird has major investments in media, entertainment, and sports in the UK. In 2024, the firm acquired All3Media, a British film and TV production and distribution company. The company also has a stake in the Premier League soccer club Liverpool and owns AC Milan in Italy's Serie A. RedBird will also acquire the UK's Channel 5 if Paramount Global's merger with Skydance is approved.
RedBird has also invested in Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Artists Equity, LeBron James and Maverick Carter's SpringHill Company, the YES Network, and has helped Skydance finance several productions, including Amazon's 'Reacher' and Paramount's 'Top Gun: Maverick.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mosaic Insurance unveils new coverage for digital asset sector
Mosaic Insurance has introduced a new product suite targeting the digital asset market, combining cyber and financial institutions (FI) crime coverage to address the needs of this industry. The offering provides tailored protection for businesses navigating complex risks in a sector that has often faced limited insurance options, said Mosaic. Mosaic has partnered with Native, a specialist broker in digital assets, to support the launch. Through the Native Risk Collective, businesses that adopt approved vendors and services to enhance their risk profile can access improved coverage terms and more competitive premiums. The modular suite delivers stand-alone or integrated coverage for cyber, technology errors and omissions (E&O), and crime risks. It offers up to £/$/€10m in capacity for cyber and tech exposures and up to £/$/€5m for crime exposures, the insurer said. Mosaic cyber global head Brian Bonkoski said: 'Mosaic is bringing the first comprehensive Lloyd's A+-rated cyber, tech E&O and crime capacity to the digital asset space – it is a true differentiator, delivering a level of trust and financial strength that has been lacking in this space. 'With global regulatory licences and underwriting hubs in London, the US, Bermuda, Canada, Europe, Dubai, and Singapore, we offer seamless coverage to clients, regardless of domicile or the jurisdictions they serve.' Underwritten through Mosaic's global agency network on behalf of its Lloyd's Syndicate 1609, the product is said to be supported by its A+-rated global carrier partners. Designed to serve a wide range of digital asset businesses, the solution caters to entities such as blockchain analytics companies, custodians, exchanges, exchange-traded funds structures, miners, real-world asset platforms, trading platforms and wallet providers. These companies have historically encountered challenges in securing comprehensive coverage due to perceived market volatility or regulatory uncertainties, stated Mosaic. The product mirrors the line sizes and policy structures available to Mosaic's non-digital asset clients, providing seamless cyber, tech and crime coverage through a single underwriting platform to eliminate common coverage gaps. Mosaic cyber underwriter vice-president Kieran Quigley said: 'Digital asset clients have long needed insurance that understands their risks, offers meaningful capacity and brings a long-term view. 'We have listened to clients and brokers and built solutions that reflect the ambition and growing sophistication of this space. We are proud to support innovators driving the next wave of global economic change.' Cyber and financial institutions liability represent two of Mosaic's seven specialty business lines, alongside environmental liability, transactional liability, political risk, political violence and professional liability. "Mosaic Insurance unveils new coverage for digital asset sector" was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AXA wins UK court ruling against Santander over PPI claims
Frensh insurer AXA has won a legal case in a London court, resulting in a ruling of approximately £680m (€781.53m) against Santander for the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI). The issue involved losses from mis-selling complaints related to PPI policies underwritten by two companies acquired by AXA from Genworth in 2015. These policies were originally sold by a company that Santander acquired in 2009. The legal proceedings initiated by AXA in the High Court of London in 2021 were prompted by losses associated with more than 650,000 customer complaints regarding PPI policies, with banks having disbursed around £40bn in compensation, according to Reuters. AXA, which assumed responsibility for these liabilities following its acquisition of two Genworth units in 2015, has already paid nearly £500m in consumer redress and over £70m related to complaints, Judge Julia Dias said in her ruling. In her judgement, Judge Dias confirmed that AXA "has a valid claim for an indemnity" against Santander Insurance Services UK concerning the payments made for redress and fees associated with the ombudsman. Legal representatives for AXA at Quinn Emanuel indicated that the ruling's value is estimated at £675m. However, an AXA spokesperson clarified that the company would only receive a portion of the total amount awarded, as Genworth has already compensated AXA for a significant share of the losses incurred from the mis-selling. Genworth Financial stated that it anticipates receiving around $750m, contingent on the current exchange rate. In response to the ruling, a spokesperson for Santander expressed disagreement with the court's decision and indicated plans to appeal. The spokesperson further stated: "We do not expect the net impact of the judgment to be material for Santander given provisions already made and the potential legal actions available. 'No customers have suffered loss as a consequence of the claim brought by AXA France or the judgment, nor does it impact upon past redress paid to customers for PPI complaints." "AXA wins UK court ruling against Santander over PPI claims" was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Novo Nordisk faces 'show me' moment to boost Wegovy growth after US copycat ban
By Maggie Fick LONDON (Reuters) -A U.S. ban on copycat versions of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy has begun to lift use of the weight loss drug, but the company will need to show more robust growth in the months ahead to bolster market confidence, investors and analysts say. New Wegovy prescriptions have increased by about 33% since May 22, when a U.S. Food and Drug Administration ban on so-called compounded versions of Wegovy took effect, amounting to 181,200 in the week ended July 18, according to data from IQVIA that was shared with Reuters by industry analysts. Total Wegovy prescriptions have also increased, narrowing the lead for Eli Lilly and Co's Zepbound. In the week ended May 23, U.S. Zepbound prescriptions exceeded Wegovy by nearly 175,000. By July 18, the gap was about 133,000. Early signs of a shift come at a critical juncture for Novo. After Wegovy's initial stunning success, investor confidence was rattled when Zepbound and compounders started to slow the drug's growth. And then in May, the Danish company cut its full-year sales and earnings forecasts and announced the surprise exit of Chief Executive Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, citing market challenges and a stock price nearly 60% below its 2024 peak. Jorgensen said at the time he expected the FDA compounding ban to lift sales in the second half of this year. Investors are keen to hear whether that is still likely when the company reports quarterly earnings on August 6. That leaves the drugmaker in what Barclays analyst Emily Field called a "show me" phase - no longer buoyed by optimism about a turnaround but under pressure to deliver. She has an "overweight" rating on Novo's shares. "We thought this trajectory change (in new prescriptions) would get the shares moving, but not so far," Berenberg analyst Kerry Holford told Reuters. "I suspect investors are now waiting for the (second quarter) update - will they/won't they trim guidance range? I think they will trim the top." Berenberg has a "hold" rating on Novo. Novo did not respond to a request for comment. Investors and analysts note that the IQVIA prescription data is incomplete, because it does not capture sales of Wegovy through the company's direct-to-consumer platform, NovoCare, launched in March. They estimate the channel is still a small slice of overall Wegovy volume. "We would hope to see strong growth from the NovoCare channel but are cognizant that this may come at initially lower prices" due to discount offers, said Marcus Morris-Eyton, a portfolio manager at Alliance Bernstein, whose fund holds Novo shares. "Sentiment towards Novo Nordisk is currently exceptionally weak, but given low expectations, the low valuation and hopefully accelerating prescription data in (the second half of 2025) we believe the market is underestimating Novo's long term growth potential," he said. BRINGING BACK PATIENTS Booming sales of Wegovy catapulted Novo to become Europe's most valuable listed company, peaking in June 2024 at about 615 billion euros, after the weekly injection became the first highly-effective obesity treatment approved in the U.S. in 2021. But supply disruptions and gaps in health insurance coverage for Wegovy helped fuel the market for cheaper compounded - or copycat - versions, which are allowed under U.S. law when drugs are in shortage. Investor sentiment on Novo soured after the company lost ground to U.S. rival Eli Lilly, which launched Zepbound in late 2023. In its first full-year forecast downgrade since Wegovy's launch, Novo said in May it expected local-currency sales growth of 13–21%, down from a previous forecast of 16–24%. Operating profit growth is projected at 16–24%, versus 19–27% previously. Capturing more of the patients who had turned to compounded drugs is key to meeting those targets. The FDA determined that Wegovy was no longer in shortage in February, leading to the ban on compounded versions. Novo has rolled out new tactics to bring patients back, including a limited-time discount for one month's supply, and secured better coverage from insurer CVS Health. Analysts at Berenberg and UBS are sceptical these moves will provide enough momentum and expect that Novo will reduce or narrow its full-year guidance ranges, according to research notes. TD Cowen said the outcome was hard to predict due to limited visibility on NovoCare. Bank of America and Guggenheim said they did not expect another guidance cut and Barclays said it was unlikely. ($1 = 0.8513 euros)
