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December 1, 2008 7:21 AM PST

Report: Redstone to sell Midway Games stake

Posted by Dawn Kawamoto
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National Amusements, a media and entertainment company controlled by Sumner Redstone, is expected to announce on Monday that it sold its majority stake in Midway Games, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Redstone reportedly sold the 87 percent stake to investor Mark Thomas, in exchange for $100,000 and the assumption of $70 million in secured and unsecured debt.

The transaction, while expected to result in a loss in excess of $800 million for Redstone, is expected to yield a substantial tax break for the media and entertainment investor, according to the Journal.

And for Redstone, that could mean one fewer headache as National Amusements, reportedly in a separate transaction, is busy renegotiating a restructuring of its $1.6 billion in debt with its banks and note holders.

Redstone is under great pressure, as the first portion of the debt, a $800 million bank loan, is due this month, according to a report in the New York Post.

National also holds controlling stakes in CBS, publisher of CNET News, and Viacom.

Dawn Kawamoto covers enterprise security and financial news relating to technology for CNET News. E-mail Dawn.
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