Mediaset counterattacked and Vivendi. “The only way is the court” – the Newspaper

Pier Silvio Berlusconi confirms, yesterday in Milan at Banca Imi at the second stage of the road show with the financial analysts, that the way forward for Mediaset to exit from the clash with Vivendi, which controls 29.9% of the Biscione, will pass from the court. “If it was legal,” he reiterated yesterday without hesitation.

in Short, the sentence of two days interpreted (“if you come with a proposal we will evaluate it”) as an opening towards the French, such was not. A coherent strategy seen that Mediaset has in hand a signed contract, and solving it might cost to Vivendi of up to 1.8 billion. The ad has made it clear that there were no contacts between Vivendi, Mediaset or Fininvest, except a meeting specifically asked by the ceo of Vivendi Arnaud de Puyfontaine. “It was he – says Pier Silvio Berlusconi – to speak of a hypothesis Telecom, Vivendi, Mediaset but to us a partnership of shareholders not interested.” In addition, he has held to emphasize, that Mediaset has suffered huge damage: “Not so much for lack of sales, but the slowdown that have undergone the activity of “Premium”. The pay tv weighs on the accounts of Alfa and it is for this reason that the company in the three-year plan has decided to be resized, especially on the front of th e purchase of the rights of the football. Mediaset will participate in the auction of the Champions league and the Serie A Championship but did not plan to exceed the offers. Moreover, the creation of Premium had been made to counter the expansion of the Sky that otherwise would have attacked, in a substantial manner, also the advertising market. But, thanks to the success of the web tv, such as Netflix, the Sky is no longer a threat. It could even become a potential customer. “If you wanted to launch an offer for the football on digital terrestrial television – has added Pier Silvio Berlusconi – from 2018 may be interested in the technological platform of Premium as any other person that a successful claim these rights”. It is, however, difficult that Sky could have the rights for the digital terrestrial television since a law prohibits the concentration of the latter in the hands of a single entity. At the level of strategy, the pay-tv Mediaset may still ha ve an important role, but with a different weight.

“The pay-tv classic – has added to – it is very hard in the next few years. For this reason our approach will be more opportunistic. Therefore, Mediaset is moving forward with legal action even if the French have sufficient shares to request the calling of an extraordinary shareholders ‘ meeting. “All goes still to the votes and a relative majority of Fininvest (which controls Mediaset, with nearly 40% ed) seems to be solid” -he has assured.

what is Certain is that the court, the first hearing will be on march 21 will be a long time. As the investigation Consob. He said the president Vegas: “On the Vivendi-Mediaset hang international rogatory letters that require time.”