National Amusements theaters draws first bids: sources

TORONTO (Reuters) - Sumner Redstone's National Amusements has received a first round of bids for its U.S. and U.K. theater chains, with bidders offering enough to help the company pay off its debt obligations due in 2009, sources familiar with the matter said.

At least 10 parties have bid in each auction, the sources said, adding that the U.S. auction had been expanded to include most of the theaters in New England, which were previously excluded from the sale.

The people requested anonymity because details of the auction have not been made public.

Some parties have bid for all the U.S. properties up for sale while others have pitched for particular theaters, the sources said. Bidders for the U.S. properties are mostly U.S.-based strategic rivals and private equity firms, the sources said.

National Amusements, Redstone's holding company for his controlling stakes in CBS Corp (CBS.N) and Viacom Inc VIAb.N, declined to comment.

The company is selling 68 theaters in the United States and 21 theaters in the United Kingdom in two separate auctions.

National Amusements, which operates 1,500 screens in the United States, United Kingdom, Latin America and Russia, is still excluding a few theaters in the U.S. Northeast and all of the properties in Russia and Latin America from the sale, the sources said.

The company reached an agreement with lenders in February to restructure $1.6 billion in debt, extending the maturity of the debt to December 31, 2010, with certain repayments due in late 2009. The debt totals $1.46 billion after a repayment at closing, the company said earlier this year.

The sources said the bidders had offered prices high enough for National Amusements to pay down the debt due this year, but declined to provide specifics on the bid amounts.

Another person familiar with the debt discussions said the company would have to pay about $500 million or more this year, with the majority of the debt coming due next year.

(Reporting Jui Chakravorty; Editing Bernard Orr)