Orange, a major French telecoms company, has held talks about investing in Vivendi’s pay-TV unit Canal Plus, according to people familiar with the matter.
No structure for the deal has been decided and the companies might instead agree to a partnership, the sources said. If there is an agreement, there is also no guarantee antitrust regulators would approve it.
On Thursday, Orange CEO Stéphane Richard said he was open to buying Canal Plus.
“If Canal Plus were up for sale tomorrow, Orange would definitely look into it. Obviously,” Mr. Richard told reporters on the fringes of a news conference in Morocco on Thursday. “There are many reasons that suggest forging closer ties.”
Paris-based Orange, France’s largest telecoms group, has seen margins squeezed at home by years of tough competition and is particularly interested in Canal Plus’ businesses in Poland and Africa where both companies have been expanding.
Vivendi, meanwhile, has been looking to foster relationships with large telecoms companies to better distribute its content.
Full Content: Market Watch
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
Pork Industry Faces Legal Challenges as Antitrust Lawsuits Against Seaboard Foods Dismissed
Oct 2, 2024 by
CPI
CMA Strengthens Investigation with Advisory Panel of Veterinary Experts
Oct 2, 2024 by
CPI
US Merchants Sue Visa, Alleging Unfair Dominance in Debit Card Market
Oct 2, 2024 by
CPI
European Commission Appoints New Chief Competition Economist
Oct 2, 2024 by
CPI
EU Commission Requests Information from YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok on Algorithm Usage
Oct 2, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Refusal to Deal
Sep 27, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust’s Refusal-to-Deal Doctrine: The Emperor Has No Clothes
Sep 27, 2024 by
Erik Hovenkamp
Why All Antitrust Claims are Refusal to Deal Claims and What that Means for Policy
Sep 27, 2024 by
Ramsi Woodcock
The Aspen Misadventure
Sep 27, 2024 by
Roger Blair & Holly P. Stidham
Refusal to Deal in Antitrust Law: Evolving Jurisprudence and Business Justifications in the Align Technology Case
Sep 27, 2024 by
Timothy Hsieh