Beleaguered retailer Tesco, which owns 3,300 stores in the U.K., and a portfolio of media assets under the Blinkbox brand, has reportedly sold its video Blinkbox service to phone company TalkTalk for 5-million British pounds. Blinkbox Music, which announced a million streams last September, is not part of the deal, according to Music Week, which also reports a potential buyer lined up.
Tesco appears to be undergoing a dismantling to some degree. The BBC reports that Tesco will close 43 of its stores (not an uncommon retraction for a large retail chain), has stopped a plan to open 49 new ones, has closed its pension plan, and is make other financial cuts totalling 250-million British pounds.