Brunswick Group's New York office is supporting communications for Liberty Global in its $16B deal to buy U.K. cable giant Virgin Media, which could create the world's largest cable operator.

The acquisition, creating a broadband company in 47M homes across 14 countries, is drawing heightened interest in business media because it involves media titans John Malone (Liberty), Richard Branson (Virgin), and Rupert Murdoch, the News Corp. chief and Europe cable TV titan with whom Liberty would compete.

Virginia Media is the No. 2 U.K. cable-TV provider behind Murdoch's BSkyB.

Including debt, Liberty's cash and stock acquisition of VM totals $23.3B.

Liberty Global said after closing it will draw 80% of its revenue from the U.K., Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. It will also become the largest broadband company in the U.S. and U.K., leapfrogging Comcast.

Liberty plans to move its incorporation from Delaware to the U.K. as a subsidiary of a new holding company.
Brun

wick partner Stanislas Neve de Mevergnies, a former London office hand now in New York, is supporting Liberty's corporate communications on U.S. press for the deal.

Virgin Media gets outside financial communications counsel from London's Tavistock Communications.