Sprint discussed deals with 4 other companies before picking Softbank

Before Sprint’s board accepted Softbank’s $20.1 billion takeover offer, the carrier talked up potential deals with four other entities, according to documentation Sprint filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Sprint didn’t reveal their identities, naming the companies W, X, Y and Z, but Company W is most certainly MetroPCS, a carrier Sprint has been dancing around for more than a year. The proxy statement – which Sprint submitted ahead of a shareholder vote on the Softbank deal – said Sprint was in negotiations with Company W between December 2011 and February 2012 over a possible merger, but the talks fizzled out.