ITV PLC (LON:ITV) said on Wednesday it would not bid for Dutch production firm Endemol Shine Group, the maker of hit shows Peaky Blinders, Big Brother and Masterchef.
Endemol Shine has been put up for sale by owners private equity firm Apollo and Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. (NASDAQ:FOXA).
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Media reports said ITV had entered bidding for Endemol Shine, which is expected to fetch between US$2bn and US$4bn.
“In light of continued press speculation, ITV confirms that it has no current intention of making a bid for Endemol Shine Group,” ITV said.
At the interim results in July, ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall said the broadcaster would consider making “selective, value-creating mergers and acquisitions”. However, last month she was currently focusing on consolidating its previous producer acquisitions.
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ITV shares gained 2.9% to 160.9p in late morning trading.