Vivendi CEO Vincent Bolloré Accuses Mediaset Of Providing 'Misleading' Information

Vivendi CEO Vincent Bolloré accused Italian group Mediaset of providing "misleading" information during negotiations over a tie-up last year, "upping the stakes in the acrimonious stand-off" between former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi and Bolloré, according to David Bond of the FINANCIAL TIMES. Tensions between Berlusconi, who founded and owns 40% of Mediaset, and Bolloré "have been rising" ever since Vivendi’s €880M deal to acquire 3.5% of Mediaset and all of pay-TV channel Mediaset Premium "fell apart in July." The move was part of Vivendi's strategy to build a southern European media powerhouse to "take on Sky and combat the growing threat from new global online streaming services such as Netflix." Despite reports in Italy of a "possible peace deal between the two parties," Vivendi CEO Arnaud de Puyfontaine said that "attempts to find a resolution had so far failed." He suggested that Vivendi received "wrong" information during talks about the deal (FT, 3/19).