NEW YORK (Reuters) – KKR & Co is in advanced talks to acquire publisher Simon & Schuster from Paramount Global for $1.65 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. .
According to the sources, KKR was facing competition from HarperCollins Publishers, owned by News Corp, on this file.
If talks are successful, the deal could be announced in the coming days, the sources said.
The information was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Reuters reported last February that Paramount was again seeking to part ways with Simon & Schuster, after an initial $2.2 billion deal sealed with Penguin Random House fell through last year due to a decision by justice based on antitrust concerns.
The sources said no competition concerns are expected to arise over KKR’s potential takeover of Simon & Schuster.
Paramount and KKR declined requests for comment. No immediate response was received from HarperCollins.
(Report Anirban Sen, with Milana Vinn; French version Jean Terzian)
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