Liberty may launch bid for Ziggo ahead of potential IPO

Liberty Global may make a bid for Dutch cable operator Ziggo to pre-empt an IPO of the company by its private-equity owners, according to a UK press report.

Liberty Global chief strategy officer Shane O’Neill was cited by the Financial Times as saying that Liberty Global would not be put off by talks held by Cinven and Warburg Pincus, Ziggo’s owners, with advisory firm STJ to guide them towards a possible IPO this summer.

Ziggo, which had revenues of about €1.4 billion last year, has been valued by analysts at around €7 billion on the basis of its relatively strong cash flow.