Macrovision Corp. said Thursday that it has agreed to sell its software business for $200 million in an effort to help fund its buyout of Los Angeles-based Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc.

Macrovision said it is selling the software unit to Chicago-based investment company Thoma Cressey Bravo.

Santa Clara-based Macrovision said in December that it was acquiring Gemstar for $2.8 billion, and would assume about $800 million of debt to finance the deal. That deal is expected to close early in the second quarter but has faced shareholder resistance.

Last month, Loeb Partners Corp., which owns a 2.1 percent stake in Macrovision, said in a statement that the Gemstar acquisition “introduces leverage and substantial execution risk” to the company.

The $6.35 per share price represented a 6.2 percent premium on Gemstar’s closing price the day prior to the announcement and a 25 percent premium before Gemstar announced it was exploring strategic alternatives in July. Gemstar’s board has already approved the deal.

Shares in Gemstar were up 5 cents to $4.59 in early trading Thursday on the Nasdaq.