
Vodafone and Liberty Global have overlapping assets in multiple countries. Notably in Germany, they are the first and second largest cable operators, with Vodafone owning Kabel Deutschland and Liberty Global owning Unitymedia. Other countries on the continent where both operators are present include Romania, Czech Republic and Hungary, where Vodafone is active in the mobile market, and Liberty owns cable operator UPC.
Talk of a merger or asset swap between Vodafone and Liberty Global has resurfaced regularly in recent years, especially since the creation of their VodafoneZiggo joint venture in the Netherlands. In 2015, the companies held formal talks without reaching an agreement.