What will Vivendi and Mediaset do on M6 TV in France?
Vivendi would have asked Mediaset to submit a joint offer for the purchase of the French TV M6, but the Biscione niche (it seems). However, it is further proof of an ongoing detente between the two groups after years of even legal disputes. Facts and rumors
Technical tests of friendship between the French Vivendi and Mediaset. This time the trials could be played on French soil.
Vivendi would have asked Mediaset to participate together in the race for the purchase of the French M6 network. The request, however, does not seem to convince Cologno Monzese.
All the details.
THE SALE OF M6
The German group Bertelsmann is considering the possibility of selling its 48.26% stake in the French audiovisual group M6, which owns, among others, the homonymous channel M6, Gulli, W9 and radio RTL.
The share is worth 1 billion euros.
VENDI AND MEDIASET AMONG THE INTERESTED
There are several suitors in the running for that 48.26%. Media players such as Altice (owner of BFM Business), Czech entrepreneur Daniel Kretinsky and Tf1 are interested.
Also in the running are the French Vivendi, which Bfm indicates among the favorites, and Mediaset.
VIVENDI-MEDIASET JOINT OFFER
Between Mediaset and Vivendi, which owns 28.8% of the Biscione, after years of disputes that have also resulted in court and raised shields, technical peace trials have been started. And for this, writes today Affari & Finanza , the economic insert of Repubblica , "Vivendi is certainly interested and has asked Mediaset to put the past behind it and participate together".
THE RETICENCE OF COLOGNO
But “Cologno's management prefers to participate alone because it would be the only group without Antitrust problems”, adds Affari & Finanza .
THE OUTSIDE HAND OF MEDIASET
Apart from the offer, it is Mediaset that has held out its hand to the French in recent weeks. On May 27, Il Biscione is ready to abolish the increased vote, which was introduced by the company two years ago, precisely with the aim of curbing Vivendi's advance and securing Fininvest's position.
Mediaset takes a step back with the hope that Vivendi will not veto the transfer of the tax office of Cologno in the June assembly and the hope of putting an end to the legal disputes still in progress.
THE COMMITMENTS OF VIVENDI
Bollorè would also do its part. Vivendi would undertake to progressively reduce its stake in Mediaset by selling the 19.2% held in Simon fiduciaria over the next 5 years, with Fininvest which could request a form of pre-emption or approval on the sale of the shares.
To negotiate for peace between the parties, writes MF-Milano Finanza , there is on the one hand, the Italian one, Sergio Erede, on the other, the French one, Giuseppe Scassellati-Sforzolini (Cleary Gottlieb).
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/economia/che-cosa-faranno-in-francia-vivendi-e-mediaset-sulla-m6/ on Mon, 03 May 2021 14:12:18 +0000.