Six bids expected for Universal Entertainment by Monday

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

French media giant Vivendi Universal said it expects six bidders to compete for the company's U.S. entertainment assets by a Monday deadline for offers, setting the stage for one of the industry's most anticipated auctions. Bidders reportedly include Liberty Media Corp., Viacom Inc., General Electric's NBC, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and two investment groups — one headed by Vivendi Vice Chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr., the other by oil tycoon Marvin Davis.

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And if each bidder used a flag to bid ... ;)

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"It's not a Too-mah!" - Arnold after riding Batman the Ride

Wouldn't it be interesting if Viacom scored this one. Paramount and Universal together, along with their theme parks. It would certainly add a lot of expertise to their roster.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

I wouldn't mind seeing Viacom win the bid, but they aren't front runners because they don't want all of universal's assets. If Viacom won it could create an anti-trust issue as well. Although, in these days of deregulation who knows. Still, I haven't heard any of these groups discuss any plans they have for the theme parks- so its really hard to tell how the parks would be affected.

My money's on Eddie's bid. Word on the "street" around here is that he really wants to regain control of those assests. We'll see if he can get the bucks to back it up ...

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Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill.

mutly23, anti-trust WOULD have been an issue 20-some years ago, but since Ron Reagan first landed in DC, laissez-faire has been the ruloe rather than the exception. Besides, what with SF, CF, Busch, Herco, KennyCorp, etc. in the business, Viacom/Vivendi would create more of a media conglomerate than one in the theme-park industry.

If I were Marvin Davis, I'd have left Vivendi to the winds of fate after their last rejection of his offer...

Just my *impression* mind you, but other than the USF expansion, I have seen Vivendi do very little that strikes me as good business...

bill, hoping that it all works out somehow...I sure wouldn't mind IoA/USF coming under the Paramount "flag"...

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