AT&T exploring IPO of DirecTV Latin America stake

(Reuters) - AT&T Inc, which owns satellite television service DirecTV, said it was exploring an initial public offering for its minority interest in DirecTV Latin America in the first half of 2018.

The No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier has confidentially filed a registration statement with U.S. regulators.

Reuters, citing sources, reported last year that AT&T was evaluating a sale of its pay TV operations in Latin America as it seeks to pay down debt following its planned $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner. The assets could have been valued at more than $8 billion at the time. (http://reut.rs/2f5y6R4)

AT&T, which acquired DirecTV for $48.5 billion in 2015, reported about 13.6 million video connections for Latin America as of Dec. 31, 2017, an addition of 1.1 million from a year earlier.

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee and Muvija M in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)