Sony Is Planning to Call Off $10 Billion Merger With India’s Zee
- Japanese firm working on sending termination notice by Jan. 20
- Last-lap leadership tussle was the biggest hurdle for the deal
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Sony Group Corp. is planning to call off the merger pact of its India unit with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., said people familiar with the matter, capping two years of drama and delay in creating a $10 billion media giant.
The Japanese conglomerate is looking to cancel the deal due to a standoff over whether Zee’s Chief Executive Officer Punit Goenka, also its founder’s son, would lead the merged entity, the people said, asking not to be named as the information is not public. While the agreement signed in 2021 was that Goenka would lead the new company, Sony no longer wants him as CEO amid a regulatory probe, the people said.