Could Rupert Murdoch buy Yahoo? According to a piece in the Hollywood Reporter, News Corporation has been approached about becoming "a potential strategic partner."
I saw that suggestion floated ages ago, not least because of Murdoch's antipathy to Google. But the Reporter is now claiming to have a source who claims that private equity firms have pitched the idea to News Corp.
It would involve News Corp rolling some, or all, of its digital businesses into Yahoo in return for a stake.
Given that MySpace has lost user and advertising momentum since News Corp acquired it in 2005, it is often seen as a candidate for a combination with another web player.
There are other contenders. AOL is said to be talking and even Microsoft, which saw its offer couple of years ago rejected, may still be interested.
Despite its problems, one analyst quoted by the Reporter, Youssef Squali of Jefferies & Co, points out that Yahoo remains a cash-rich business.
He calculates that the value of its core business could amount to $14.2bn (£8.9bn).
That said, Bloomberg reports that Yahoo is working with Goldman Sachs to help defend against possible takeover approaches.
Sources: Hollywood Reporter/Bloomberg
