(Bloomberg) — A group of lenders to Altice USA Inc. is preparing to sign a cooperation agreement — a pact designed to prevent creditor brawls — amid concerns that the troubled company could move assets away from their reach, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Most Read from Bloomberg
The agreement could initially last 18 months, with the option of being extended multiple times, and become effective as soon as this week, said the people, who asked not be identified discussing a private matter. Terms and timing may still change and there is a chance lenders may ultimately fail to reach a deal, they said.
Some creditors, who hold a majority of the company’s debt, tapped PJT Partners and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld for advice amid growing concerns that Altice USA will seek to restructure its debt load, Bloomberg News previously reported.
Lenders that are considering signing the pact include Apollo Global Management Inc., Ares Management Corp., BlackRock Inc., and Oaktree Capital Management, according to one of the people.
Representatives for Altice USA, Akin, Apollo and Oaktree did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Representatives for PJT, Ares and BlackRock declined to comment.
Existing creditors have been worried that Altice USA, which has a debt pile totaling some $25 billion on a consolidated basis, could seek to move assets, potentially reducing the value of the collateral backing the debt.
Altice USA is one of the three silos of Patrick Drahi’s telecom and media business — the others being Altice France, which controls French mobile operator SFR and Altice Media, and Altice International.
Most creditors of Altice France organized in separate groups and have signed cooperation pacts to prevent brawls. Under those agreements, individual debtholders can’t decide to accept a deal on their own but instead need to stick to what the majority of the lenders have agreed to do.
(Updates with names of lenders in fourth paragraph.)
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
