• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, April 11, 2016

The news that Yahoo is putting its main business on the auction block has generated interest from all over the media universe, including an old foe, the newspaper industry.

While companies like Yahoo have often been blamed (along with bigger peers like Facebook and Google) for the demise of traditional printed media, in an ironic reversal, the UK-based Daily Mail and General Trust is said to be considering a bid for the troubled tech titan.

The Daily Mail and General Trust, which publishes the newspaper of the same name, acknowledged that it is currently negotiating with “a number of parties who are potential bidders” to arrange a deal for Yahoo’s core Web publishing and advertising business, suggesting a possible tie up with a private equity firm for financing.

Like other possible buyers, DMGT has until April 18 to submit its bid, the deadline set by Yahoo.

According to The Wall Street Journal, one plausible arrangement would split Yahoo’s business, giving the Daily Mail control of the new service and turning the rest over to a private equity partner. Alternatively, the Daily Mail’s U.S. Web site could merge with Yahoo’s media and news business.

The Daily Mail may find itself competing with scores of other firms, including rival bids from U.S. magazine publisher Time Inc., which would also rely on private equity backing, and telecom provider Verizon.

DMGT has already been building its U.S. online business through acquisitions.

Last year, the newspaper publisher acquired Elite Daily, a U.S. online publisher targeting millennials, for an estimated $40 million to $50 million. Toward the end of last year, DMGT revealed that 40% of the total monthly audience of 212 million unique visitors to Mail Online came from the U.S. – a larger figure than it gets from its home audiences, which contributed 35% of the total.