All3Media owner RedBird IMI among suitors for Coulthard-owned TV firm
Sky News has learnt that RedBird IMI has tabled an offer for Whisper Group, which has been exploring a sale for several months.
Sources said the auction process was at a critical stage with a buyer potentially being selected within days.
RedBird IMI, which had hoped to take full control of The Daily Telegraph before a change of media ownership law meant that its Abu Dhabi state involvement had to be curtailed, already owns All3Media, the TV production giant behind a string of hit shows.
However, its interest in Whisper is said to have been expressed through RedBird IMI rather than being conducted using All3Media as the acquirer.
RedBird is now in the advanced stages of taking control of the Telegraph newspaper titles, with IMI restricted to owning a maximum 15% stake.
The identities of the other bidders for Whisper were unclear on Thursday evening.
Whisper Group was established in 2010 and won a BAFTA for its coverage of the Women's Euros in 2022.
It is working with advisers at KPMG on a deal.
Whisper is already 30%-owned by Sony Pictures Television, which acquired the stake in 2020.
Sony replaced Channel 4's Indie Growth Fund as an investor in the business.
A majority of the shares in Whisper are owned by its founders and management team.
The company is best-known for its sports productions, and is responsible for Channel 4's Formula One coverage as well as international cricket, boxing and the Paralympics.
Whisper employs about 300 people, and has operations in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Riyadh.
Its chief executive, Sunil Patel, co-founded the producer alongside Mr Coulthard and Mr Humphrey.
It is said to be plotting further expansion in sport in the form of bigger events and rightsholders, as well as in events, where its clients include Red Bull.
Whisper is also focused on growing its presence in the US, where it currently works with Tom Brady's Religion of Sport, and the Middle East, where it is partnered with Neom and Saudi Pro League teams.
Outside of sports rights, it has produced documentaries about Ben Stokes, the England Test cricket captain, and Sven-Goran Ericsson, the late England football manager.
It has also diversified into entertainment programming, producing the Wheel of Fortune gameshow hosted by Graham Norton.
Its most recent accounts disclosed a £4.3m pre-tax profit for the year to March 31, 2024.
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