Liberty Global chairman John Malone is considering entering an £11 billion auction for cable operator Virgin Media, the Financial Timeshas reported.
The US media mogul, who also chairs Liberty Media, called his interest in Virgin Media exploratory but said his company was "doing our homework," the FTreported.
Virgin Media had asked suitors to submit expressions of interest by the first week of August to kick off an auction of the company, sources said.
About 10 suitors have expressed an interest since private equity firm Carlyle Group made an initial offer earlier this month.
Financing a $23-billion equity and debt package in tight credit markets may make Liberty Global an attractive partner for a private equity bidder, the FTreported.
Liberty Global, the holding company for Mr Malone's non-US cable assets, spans much of Europe and has cable systems in Japan and Latin America, but it has been frustrated in the UK and German markets, the FTsaid.