Lions Gate reaches for the Starz
February 4, 2016
Hollywood studio Lions Gate Entertainment has confirmed that it has renewed merger talks with entertainment TV network Starz.
In a regulatory filing, Lions Gate – where John Malone is the largest voting shareholder – said it “intends to explore whether there is a potential mutually beneficial combination of the two companies”.
In November 2015, Malone exchanged some of his Starz stake for a 3.43 per cent shareholding in Lions Gate and a seat on the studio’s board. The deal saw Lions Gate receive a 4.51 per cent stake in Starz. He later suggested that a tie-up was possible, but it is understood that agreement over valuation of Starz could not be reached.