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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Virgin Media in talks with John Malone's Liberty Global | Virgin Media in talks with John Malone's Liberty Global |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| US billionaire John Malone's cable group, Liberty Global, is in talks with Virgin Media about a possible deal with the UK cable company. | US billionaire John Malone's cable group, Liberty Global, is in talks with Virgin Media about a possible deal with the UK cable company. |
| Virgin Media confirmed the two are discussing a "possible transaction". | Virgin Media confirmed the two are discussing a "possible transaction". |
| The Financial Times reported that Liberty plans a potential takeover of Virgin Media, creating the UK's second biggest pay-TV business after BSkyB. | The Financial Times reported that Liberty plans a potential takeover of Virgin Media, creating the UK's second biggest pay-TV business after BSkyB. |
| A deal would pitch Mr Malone in direct competition with Rupert Murdoch, whose media empire owns 39% of BSkyB. | A deal would pitch Mr Malone in direct competition with Rupert Murdoch, whose media empire owns 39% of BSkyB. |
| The two men's business interests clashed a decade ago, when Mr Murdoch's News Corp and Liberty Media vied for control of DirecTV Group, the largest US satellite TV broadcaster. | The two men's business interests clashed a decade ago, when Mr Murdoch's News Corp and Liberty Media vied for control of DirecTV Group, the largest US satellite TV broadcaster. |
| Virgin Media said in a statement that it "confirms that it is in discussions with Liberty Global, a leading international cable company, concerning a possible transaction." | Virgin Media said in a statement that it "confirms that it is in discussions with Liberty Global, a leading international cable company, concerning a possible transaction." |
| BSkyB leads the UK pay-TV market with 10.7 million customers compared with Virgin Media's 4.9 million. | BSkyB leads the UK pay-TV market with 10.7 million customers compared with Virgin Media's 4.9 million. |
| Virgin Media's main listing is in the US on the Nasdaq tech stock exchange, where its shares jumped 17.9% on Tuesday. In London, BSkyB shares fell 0.9%. | Virgin Media's main listing is in the US on the Nasdaq tech stock exchange, where its shares jumped 17.9% on Tuesday. In London, BSkyB shares fell 0.9%. |
| The firm was created from the merger of NTL and Telewest, and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Mobile. | |
| Sir Richard retains a 3% stake in the company, which has a 30-year brand licensing agreement with his Virgin Group. |