FACTBOX - Woolworths widens rescue talks

(Reuters) - Sweets-to-DVDs retailer Woolworths Group has widened talks aimed at saving it from collapse.

The 99-year-old group said on Wednesday it was in talks to sell its 40 percent interest in DVD publishing business 2 Entertain to joint venture partner the BBC.

It remains in talks to sell its retail chain to restructuring specialist Hilco for a nominal sum.

Following are some key facts about Woolworths:

THE GROUP

* Woolworths employs about 30,000 people in three businesses: an 815-store retail chain; a DVD publishing joint venture with BBC Worldwide called 2 Entertain; and EUK, a distributor of music, DVDs, games and books.

The group made an adjusted loss, excluding profits from property transactions, of 90.8 million pounds in the first half of its financial year, which ended on August 2, compared with a loss of 64.3 million in the same period last year. First-half sales were down 3 percent at 1.1 billion pounds.

In the year ended February 2, the group made an adjusted profit before tax and one-off items of 28.3 million pounds on sales of 2.97 billion pounds.

THE SHOPS