BSkyB confirms talks with Fox over assets in Italy

British broadcasting giant BSkyB confirmed Monday it was in preliminary talks with Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox over the "potential acquisition of its pay-TV assets in Italy and Germany". Fox currently owns all of Sky Italia, 55% of Sky Deutschland and 39% of BSkyB. A deal would put Murdoch's European satellite holdings in one group.
    "BSkyB believes at the right value, this combination would have the potential to create a world-class multinational pay-TV group," said a statement from Britain's largest pay-TV provider.
    Media reports last week said a deal worth about 10 billion euros was in the works.
    Murdoch's bid to take full ownership of BSkyB in 2010 was brought to a halt by a now-infmaous phone-hacking scandal. The latest deal would increase Murdoch's influence in Italy's media market dominated by ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset, who's pay-TV option is Sky Italia's main competitor.