Liberty Global's takeover of Virgin Media: Darth Vader takes on Murdoch

American cable-TV giant Liberty Global has agreed a $23.3bn takeover of Virgin Media in Britain.

America's cable giant Liberty Global has agreed a $23.3bn takeover of Virgin Media, Britain's No. 2 pay-TV operator. The deal will make Liberty Global, owned by John Malone nicknamed Cable King, or Darth Vader, thanks to his stranglehold on US cable the world's top cable provider. It will also pit Malone directly against his old sparring partner Rupert Murdoch in the fight for British broadband and pay-TV customers.

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