At least six groups submit bids to buy The Boston Globe

At least six groups are believed to have submitted bids to buy The Boston Globe, according to several people involved in or briefed on the offers.

The bidders, whose offers were due Thursday at 5 p.m., include several of the names previously reported to have been exploring bids, as well as Red Sox owner John Henry and his Fenway Sports Group.

Among them is former Time Inc. chief executive Jack Griffin and two members of the Taylor family, which used to own the Globe. A bid also was submitted by former Globe president Rick Daniels and partner Heb Ryan, a Boston private equity executive.

Other bidders, said people with knowledge of the offers, include Robert Loring, founder of Revolution Capital Group in Los Angeles and owner of the Tampa Tribune, and John J. Gormally Jr. of Gormally Broadcasting in Springfield, the owner of TV stations and BusinessWest Magazine.

Also on the list is Boston lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan, who submitted a bid that she has been working on with Thomas W. Janes of Kerry Capital Advisors, a Boston private equity firm, said those familiar with the bid.

Henry made his bid along with his New England Sports Network co-owner, Delaware North Cos. Delaware is owned by Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs.

The New York Times Co., which is selling the Globe, previously owned a stake in the Red Sox.

People who do business with him say Henry mulled acquiring the Globe in recent years, after the Times Co. put it up for sale in 2009 and threatened to shut down the newspaper. But Henry did not submit a bid at that time, and the Times Co. ultimately took New England's largest newspaper off the market.

In February, the Times Co. announced that it again planned to sell the Globe and its websites — BostonGlobe.com and Boston.com — along with the rest of the New England Media Group. That entity also includes the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and its website, as well as the Globe's direct mail marketing business and a 49 percent interest in the Metro Boston newspaper.

The Times Co. declined to comment for this story and would not say how many bids had been received.

There could be bidders in addition to those named here, whose identity could not be confirmed.

The Kraft group withdrew from the bidding, as previously reported.

The dollar amounts of the bids could not immediately be learned.

Prior estimates have ranged from $70 million to $120 million. That includes the value of the Globe's building and property on Morrissey Boulevard, which has been estimated at $30 million to $70 million.

Two people involved in bids said they believed the Times Co. was looking for at least $100 million, but that terms of the offers would probably factor in the decision.

While the Times Co. could select a winning bid at any time, many participants are anticipating that the field will be narrowed to two or three before the process concludes.

Liss-Riordan's bid would involve taking on the Globe's pension liabilities, said two people with direct knowledge of the plan.

The Times Co. has said it would keep the pension liabilities and asked for bids not to include them.