ITV plc: An existing shareholder in TV3, it remains the most likely buyer. With an annual turnover of over £2 billion (€2.9 billion), the company easily has the resources to take up the 45 per cent stake.
Setanta Media: Already running Setanta Sports and has previously shown an interest in expanding in Ireland. It has close links to venture capital group Benchmark Capital. Briefly entered the race to buy NTL Ireland.
UTV: Already has a strong presence in the Republic's radio market but would like to own a national television service.
If successful it would own TV stations north and south.
BSkyB: One of the largest media groups in Europe, it has more than 300,000 subscribers in Ireland via its digital media platform. It also has virtually exclusive access to live sport events like the English Premiership.
RTL: This firm has recently taken an interest in Ireland and plans an Irish opt-out for its station, Channel 5.
Might be interested in challenging RTÉ by purchasing the second-largest television service in Ireland.
Denis O'Brien: Already owns 31 radio stations across Europe and several in Ireland, including 98FM, Spin 102.6 FM and a large stake in NewsTalk 106. It is believed he also briefly considered bidding for NTL.
