Report: Tiscali to acquire HomeChoice

According to a report in the U.K. newspaper Telegraph, Italian Internet giant Tiscali is set to acquire VOD IPTV service HomeChoice in a deal worth $190 million. But industry sources say the deal will need the approval of Microsoft co-founder and HomeChoice chief Chris Larson, who poured an equivalent amount into the company since "rescuing" it in 2003. The company currently boasts a mere 45,000 subscribers in London and Stevenage. Last year, the company doubled the number of homes that can receive HomeChoice's 80 TV channels, broadband access, VOD and phone calls to 2.5 million. Tiscali claims a cool 4.5 million broadband subscribers, of whom 1.1 million are U.K.-based. The acquisition grants Tiscali access to HomeChoice's TV platform and content, as well as a greater presence within BT's local exchanges.

For more on the rumored deal:
- see the article in Telegraph