A number of private equity and media companies are understood to be waiting in the wings in case German cable company Kabel Deutschland's €2.7bn ($3.26bn) acquisition of three regional rivals falls through.

The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's federal cartel office, has blocked Kabel's announced acquisition, unless its demands for information are met by 7 October. The demands are understood to centre on competition concerns over media content and distribution, and lack of investment in high-speed internet services.