French conglomerates Vivendi and Bouygues are among the bidders for Bertelsmann’s controlling stake in French broadcasting group M6, two sources close to the matter told Reuters.
French telecoms tycoon Xavier Niel and Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky are also interested in buying the M6 stake held by Bertelsmann’s RTL Group subsidiary, added the sources, who asked for anonymity because the talks are private.
Italy’s biggest commercial broadcaster, Mediaset, is also looking into the asset, a separate source said.
RTL’s 48% stake in M6 had a market value of about 1.1 billion euros ($1.32 billion), according to the French company’s closing share price on Thursday.
Reuters reported in January that Bertelsmann had approached potential bidders including Vivendi and telecoms firm Altice Europe about selling its stake in M6.
Vivendi, Bouygues, Mediaset and Bertelsmann declined to comment. Niel and Altice Europe were not immediately available for comment. Etienne Bertier, chairman of CMI France, Kretinsky’s media entity in France, also declined to comment.
A full sale of RTL’s stake in M6 would mark the departure of Bertelsmann from France after it agreed to sell Prisma Media, France’s No. 1 print magazines group, to Vivendi in December.
Vivendi’s chief executive, Arnaud de Puyfontaine, said earlier this month that the media giant, controlled by billionaire Vincent Bollore, was “scrutinizing” the potential sale of RTL’s stake in M6.
RTL, which will report full-year earnings on Friday, reiterated comments made in January that there was a “strong case for consolidation in the European broadcasting sector” and it was reviewing its options.
French newspaper Les Echos was first in reporting that at least four candidates were interested in the purchase of RTL’s stake in M6, citing Vivendi, Bouygues’ subsidiary TF1, Niel and Kretinsky.
Source: Reuters.com