Tencent to spin-off online music unit Tencent Music for US listing
The planned IPO could see Tencent Music valued at between US$29 billion to US$31 billion, according to reports
Tencent, the Chinese social media and gaming juggernaut, has proposed to spin-off its online music streaming business Tencent Music for a separate listing in the US, which could also profit Spotify, an investor in Tencent Music and its strategic partner in China.
The Hong Kong exchange has confirmed that the company may proceed with the proposed spin-off, it added.
The terms of the spin-off, including the offering size, price range, and how many shares in Tencent Music that the existing shareholders of Tencent will get, have not yet been finalised.
The spin-off is subject to the approvals from relevant authorities and final decisions by the boards of Tencent and Tencent Music, Tencent said.
The IPO will also profit Spotify, which owns 9 per cent of Tencent Music after a joint equity investment deal in December that saw Tencent and Spotify take a stake in each other’s music streaming businesses. Tencent owns a 7.5 per cent stake in Spotify.