‘Active’ Foxtel sale talks spark intrigue over CEO Patrick Delany’s future
The talks have sparked uncertainty over Foxtel's future and raised questions across News Corp and the broader sector about the fate of CEO Patrick Delany.
News Corp’s ongoing efforts to gauge interest in a potential sale of Foxtel have fuelled intrigue surrounding the future of CEO Patrick Delany should the asset change hands.
The Murdoch-controlled media conglomerate’s global CEO Robert Thomson first indicated that Foxtel was for sale during an earnings call in August. On Friday’s first-quarter earnings call, he told analysts that News Corp was in “active” talks over the pay TV operator’s future.
The talks have thrown Foxtel’s future in the air and raised questions both within News Corp’s local ranks and across the broader media sector of what the future holds for Delany, who has been involved with the company for 22 years and is widely credited with its turnaround.
Senior News Corp figures, speaking to Capital Brief on condition of anonymity, said they expect Delany to remain at Foxtel in the event of a sale, assuming the asset is scooped up by a foreign buyer eager for leadership continuity.
