“I think we’ll have it sorted out by the weekend,” Christopher Bennett, publicist for BetUS told XBIZ. “We’re aggressively trying to get it. But we don’t know where the other two [bidders] are coming in at. It’s being done with our guys in New York.”
Although Bennett said that BetUS is confident they’ll acquire the tape — the existence of which has not been proved publicly — he pointed out that his firm felt the same way about the “Screeched” sex video made by former child star Dustin Diamond, which went to Red Light District instead.
“I’m not concerned about us not winning the bidding,” Bennett said of the alleged Spears video. “I’m worried [Federline] will end up not selling it. I think Britney is going to put an offer down and try to block it. I don’t even think it’s going to hit the market at this point. It sounds like [Federline] is just trying to get custody of his kids and get some spousal support. He has to consider which he wants more — whatever he can rake in off this video or roll the dice in divorce court.”
Although Federline initially asked for $50 million, according to Bennett, the BetUS publicist said he believes the video will sell for substantially less than that. The negotiations currently are being held with Federline’s agent, Brian Bunnin of ICM, according to Bennett. Financial arrangements of the deal will have to be approved by BetUS investors before a transaction is concluded.
BetUS believes that Spears’ popularity will result in sales figures that would double those of the Paris Hilton sex video.
“After the Paris tape dropped and became a huge hit, you would think Britney would have gotten rid of the tape,” Bennett said.
BetUS claims to have more than 100,000 members in the U.S. alone for it’s online betting business. If it acquires the tape, BetUS intends to allow its members to see it for free, but will charge non-members $29.95 to download it.
XBIZ reported last week that celebrity sex tape broker David Hans Schmidt also had entered talks to purchase the alleged sex tape.