Six Nations backer CVC plots trip with Loveholidays

The private equity giant which owns a stake in rugby’s Six Nations Championship is weighing a bid for a stake in one of Britain’s biggest online travel agents.

Sky News has learnt that CVC Capital Partners is among the suitors considering making an offer to become a partial owner of Loveholidays.

The travel company, which has been backed by Livingbridge, a smaller private equity firm, since 2018 has been exploring its ownership options for months.

Some industry sources believe that Loveholidays is leaning towards a minority stake sale following talks with prospective investors.

CVC's interest is at an early stage and might not lead to a firm offer, they said.

Loveholidays, along with OnTheBeach and TUI, ranks among the UK's biggest travel agents and has been a big winner from the post-pandemic resurgence in demand from holidaymakers.

Last year, Sky News reported that bankers at Evercore were being lined up to run a process and that Loveholidays was likely to be worth in the region of £1bn.

It specialises in trips to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands, and boasts that its inventory of 35,000 hotels and 99% of all flights result in 500bn possible holiday packages.

Loveholidays was founded in 2012 by Alex Francis and Jonny Marsh, and now employs hundreds of people.

CVC declined to comment.