Left At the Alter: How Some Firms Get Around Contingencies
It's a familiar story line these days: Once the masters of their domains, private equity pros have faded from power and prestige with the onset of the credit crunch. Et cetera, et cetera. Yesterday's news provided further proof of this narrative. Macrovision rejected One Equity Partners, the firm it had lined up to buy TV Guide Network, in lieu of a strategic buyer. The price, $255 million, was only a slight bump from One Equity's $225 million. The biggest difference of course, is those pesky contingencies. Unlike One Equity, strategic suitor Lionsgate would pay it all in cash. Private equity has been abandoned at the alter, and frankly, it's a bummer. I can't say I'm surprised with the number of things that can do wrong in the deal-closing process these days. The flood of stories claiming
