Vivendi | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 22 Feb 2022 13:59:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Vivendi | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Ubisoft is also willing to be acquired https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/ubisoft-is-also-willing-to-be-acquired/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/ubisoft-is-also-willing-to-be-acquired/#respond Fri, 18 Feb 2022 12:11:07 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=550761 In the wake of Microsoft’s massive $68.7 Billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, it seems all companies, whether developers or publishers, are considering and reflecting upon their own potential to be acquired. The latest company to announce their willingness to be acquired is Ubisoft. As reported by Senior industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, Yves Guillemot – the …

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In the wake of Microsoft’s massive $68.7 Billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, it seems all companies, whether developers or publishers, are considering and reflecting upon their own potential to be acquired. The latest company to announce their willingness to be acquired is Ubisoft.

As reported by Senior industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, Yves Guillemot – the founder, Chairman and CEO of Ubisoft  – recently took part in a company conference call where he was asked about Ubisoft’s potential to be acquired.

This question of course comes in the wake of the recent acquisition spree which has taken place within the industry over the past few years – the two most recent of which saw Microsoft’s massive $68.7 Billion purchase of Activision Blizzard followed by Sony’s acquisition of Bungie for $3.6 Billion.

According to Daniel Ahmad, Guillemot claimed that Ubisoft is able to remain independent, however, any offer to buy them would be reviewed, suggesting that he would be open to the notion of such an idea.

While seemingly an unsurprising outcome in today’s market, Ubisoft fought tooth and nail back in 2015 to stop Vivendi from engaging in a hostile takeover of the company, and so the change of heart is interesting.

Of course, it is worth noting that the industry is very different today from what it was back in 2015, with many companies being acquired while still being given full creative and commercial control. It will be interesting to see whether Guillemot decides to make an updated public-facing statement on the potential futures of Ubisoft.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of this shift by Yves? What’s your opinion on the current industry trajectory? If one company HAD to acquire Ubisoft, what company would you prefer it to be? Let us know down below.

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Vivendi has officially sold off all of its shares in Ubisoft https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/vivendi-has-officially-sold-off-all-of-its-shares-in-ubisoft/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/vivendi-has-officially-sold-off-all-of-its-shares-in-ubisoft/#respond Wed, 06 Mar 2019 12:56:04 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=405955 Back in late 2015, former Activision owner, Vivendi, began buying shares in Ubisoft, seemingly with plans to take over the company. Ubisoft's CEO spoke out against the takeover and even took steps to fight back against it. Eventually, Vivendi relented and agreed to sell off its shares. Now, Ubisoft is officially free, as Vivendi no …

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Back in late 2015, former Activision owner, Vivendi, began buying shares in Ubisoft, seemingly with plans to take over the company. Ubisoft's CEO spoke out against the takeover and even took steps to fight back against it. Eventually, Vivendi relented and agreed to sell off its shares. Now, Ubisoft is officially free, as Vivendi no longer owns any stake in the publisher.

At one point, Vivendi owned more than a 27 percent stake in Ubisoft. If Vivendi had reached 30 percent, then under French law, the company would have been required to make a buyout offer. After plenty of back and forth with Ubisoft's board and CEO, Vivendi announced in 2018 that it would sell all of its Ubisoft shares and not buy any more for at least five years.

That day has now come, with Vivendi's remaining shares being sold off. As pointed out by Reuters, Vivendi's total sales of Ubisoft shares brought in around €2 billion.

Since Vivendi announced that it would be backing off, Ubisoft sold a portion of shares to Tencent, which also has ownership stakes in Epic Games, amongst other publishers.

KitGuru Says: For a while, it looked like Ubisoft would not be able to escape a potential takeover. For now, it looks like Vivendi will be out of the picture for five years, although Vivendi has said that it is looking to acquire shares in other companies around the games industry. 

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Vivendi plans to sell off all remaining Ubisoft shares by March https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/vivendi-plans-to-sell-off-all-remaining-ubisoft-shares-by-march/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/vivendi-plans-to-sell-off-all-remaining-ubisoft-shares-by-march/#respond Fri, 28 Sep 2018 07:45:03 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=388581 Back in October of 2015, Vivendi, the same company that once owned a majority stake in Activision, started taking an interest in Ubisoft. Vivendi swiftly began buying up shares, putting Ubisoft's board into a bit of a panic. Ubisoft made it clear that the potential takeover was not welcome and eventually, Vivendi began backing off. …

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Back in October of 2015, Vivendi, the same company that once owned a majority stake in Activision, started taking an interest in Ubisoft. Vivendi swiftly began buying up shares, putting Ubisoft's board into a bit of a panic. Ubisoft made it clear that the potential takeover was not welcome and eventually, Vivendi began backing off. Now, the threat should be truly gone, as Vivendi plans to have sold all of its Ubisoft shares next year.

Over the course of two years, Vivendi raised its stake in Ubisoft to 27.3 percent. If Vivendi had acquired 30 percent of the company, then it would have been required to make a buyout offer under French law- something that Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft CEO, strongly wanted to avoid. In March of this year, Vivendi decided to take the hint and announced plans to back away and sell its shares, raking in around £1.75 billion in the process.

Today, it was revealed by GI.biz that Vivendi will have sold off all of its shares in Ubisoft by the 5th of March 2019. Vivendi apparently plans to refrain from buying any Ubisoft shares for another five years, so there is a chance that this situation could creep up again in the future.

As part of Ubisoft's strategy to avoid a takeover, the publisher made a deal with Tencent, selling a small stake in the company to the Chinese giant.

KitGuru Says: The Vivendi issue came around at a bad time, as Ubisoft was in the middle of trying to restore its reputation. Three years on and the publisher seems to be back in the good books, with Assassin's Creed's popularity back on the rise, Watch Dogs 2 fairing well and Far Cry 5 smashing sales charts. 

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Ubisoft has managed to escape a takeover from Vivendi https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-has-managed-to-escape-a-takeover-from-vivendi/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-has-managed-to-escape-a-takeover-from-vivendi/#respond Wed, 21 Mar 2018 10:21:00 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=367909 Ever since late 2016, Ubisoft has been operating under the very real threat of a hostile takeover. Former Activision owner, Vivendi, had been increasing its stake in Ubisoft over the course of a year, something that Ubisoft's leadership was very much against. Now, it looks like the publisher has won the battle, as Vivendi will …

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Ever since late 2016, Ubisoft has been operating under the very real threat of a hostile takeover. Former Activision owner, Vivendi, had been increasing its stake in Ubisoft over the course of a year, something that Ubisoft's leadership was very much against. Now, it looks like the publisher has won the battle, as Vivendi will be selling off its 27.3 percent stake.

The news broke early this morning. Prior to throwing in the towel, Vivendi owned 27.3 percent of Ubisoft shares, if it had reached 30 percent, then it would have been required to make a buyout offer under French law. Instead, Vivendi will be selling off its shares and raking in £1.75 billion in the process. Meanwhile, Chinese publisher Tencent will be buying a small stake in Ubisoft.

 

Yves Guillemot will be buying more Ubisoft shares for his family to hold on to. Meanwhile Ubisoft itself will also buy back some of its own shares in order to maintain control in the future should another large corporation attempt to takeover.

Here is what Yves Guillemot had to say about all of this: “The evolution in our shareholding is great news for Ubisoft. It was made possible thanks to the outstanding execution of our strategy and the decisive support of Ubisoft talents, players and shareholders. I would like to warmly thank them all.”

With Tencent owning a stake in Ubisoft, the company will “accelerate its development in China” over the next few years, so expect that to be another major focus.

KitGuru Says: It has been a tumultuous 18 months with Vivendi looming over Ubisoft, but it looks like the publisher is safe from that now.

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Vivendi has ‘no plans’ to take over Ubisoft for the next six months https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/vivendi-has-no-plans-to-take-over-ubisoft-for-the-next-six-months/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/vivendi-has-no-plans-to-take-over-ubisoft-for-the-next-six-months/#respond Fri, 17 Nov 2017 10:57:53 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=354600 The threat of a Vivendi takeover has been hanging over Ubisoft for many months now. The former Activision owner has been increasing its stake in Ubisoft consistently, which has caused plenty of stress for CEO, Yves Guillemot. However, it looks like Vivendi is holding off in the short-term, with no plans to attempt a takeover …

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The threat of a Vivendi takeover has been hanging over Ubisoft for many months now. The former Activision owner has been increasing its stake in Ubisoft consistently, which has caused plenty of stress for CEO, Yves Guillemot. However, it looks like Vivendi is holding off in the short-term, with no plans to attempt a takeover within the next six months.

Vivendi made a statement yesterday announcing that it won't attempt to takeover Ubisoft any time in the immediate future. Right now, Vivendi owns a 26 percent stake in Ubisoft, if it hits 30 percent, then it will be required to make a buyout offer under French law.

In response to Vivendi's statement Ubisoft told Gamespot that it “takes note of it” and will “remain vigilant about their long-term intentions”. Vivendi might be holding off for now, but this time next year, things may have changed.

KitGuru Says: Ubisoft has had some missteps over the years, but I generally think that the publisher is heading in the right direction with games like Rainbow Six Siege, Watch Dogs 2 and Assassin's Creed Origins. A Vivendi takeover and management shakeup could change all of that, which would be a shame to see.

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Ubisoft to buy back 4 million shares to defend against Vivendi takeover https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-to-buy-back-4-million-shares-to-defend-against-vivendi-takeover/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-to-buy-back-4-million-shares-to-defend-against-vivendi-takeover/#respond Thu, 05 Oct 2017 10:26:39 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=349139 Over the last year, Ubisoft has been fighting off a potential takeover from Vivendi. CEO, Yves Guillemot has previously made it clear that he heavily opposes a Vivendi takeover and now, it looks like the publisher is taking action, with plans to buy back four million shares. In a notice sent out to investors, Ubisoft …

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Over the last year, Ubisoft has been fighting off a potential takeover from Vivendi. CEO, Yves Guillemot has previously made it clear that he heavily opposes a Vivendi takeover and now, it looks like the publisher is taking action, with plans to buy back four million shares.

In a notice sent out to investors, Ubisoft said that it plans to buy back four million shares between the 5th of October and the 29th of December this year. This move was previously authorised at the last investor general meeting in September.

Vivendi currently holds a 27 percent stake in Ubisoft and under French law, if Vivendi hits a 30 percent share, then it is required to make a buyout offer. Vivendi has yet to confirm whether or not it actually plans to make a buyout bid for Ubisoft, but the consistent rise in shares seems to indicate that it is planning to.

Ubisoft buying back shares will help delay Vivendi’s potential buyout bid but it might not stave it off entirely.

KitGuru Says: The Vivendi takeover has been looming over Ubisoft for a long time now. This move will keep the status quo in place for a while longer but unless Vivendi starts selling off shares, then a takeover is still on the table.

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Guillemot might lose Ubisoft to Vivendi in November https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/guillemot-might-lose-ubisoft-to-vivendi-in-november/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/guillemot-might-lose-ubisoft-to-vivendi-in-november/#respond Fri, 22 Sep 2017 19:12:38 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=347435 Ubisoft’s Yves Guillemot might feel ready to fight, but the threat from Vivendi is stronger than ever as the media conglomerate is set to receive double voting rights in November. This would result in the Vivendi breaching 30 percent voting rights, prompting a hostile takeover that could end the Guillemot’s control over the company. French …

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Ubisoft’s Yves Guillemot might feel ready to fight, but the threat from Vivendi is stronger than ever as the media conglomerate is set to receive double voting rights in November. This would result in the Vivendi breaching 30 percent voting rights, prompting a hostile takeover that could end the Guillemot’s control over the company.

French law caps voting rights at 30 percent for any one entity, forcing a hostile takeover attempt once that amount is breached which could end in one of two scenarios; either Vivendi wrestles control of the company or it will be forced to sell shares off to fall below the 30 percent barrier once again.

Currently, 26.6 per cent of Ubisoft’s share capital is owned by Vivendi, with the media empire holding 25.2 per cent of its voting rights according to the Financial Times. Come November 20th, Vivendi will have had these shares for two years, resulting in France's Florange Law kicking in. This law grants double voting rights and would push past the threshold, forcing Vivendi to move on Ubisoft.

Ubisoft shareholders have backed the Guillemot family at today’s annual meeting for the company. This has resulted in the approval of independent directors for Ubisoft’s board being approved as well as the extraordinary resolutions that require more than two-thirds of the overall vote and, given the board of directors’ consent, the possibility of employees participating in capital increases.

“We are delighted with the massive support of shareholders, which strengthens our determination and ability to defend the interests of all shareholders, and to pursue our strategy of growth and value creation,” Guillemot said. “Ubisoft consolidates its position in the industry among the world’s leading video game and entertainment companies.”

Extraordinary resolution 31 in which free shares are granted to employees was rejected due to not reaching the required two-thirds majority vote. When pairing this with the sky rocketing price of company shares due to Vivendi’s grasp of the majority, which are now worth 74 percent more than last year, means that Ubisoft’s current hold is weakened.

“Share-based compensation is an essential tool for recruiting and retaining top talent in the video game industry, and is a standard practice for competitive, modern, high-tech companies,” states Ubisoft. “Alternative solutions will be put in place to guarantee competitive compensation for talents.”

If you’re wondering what might be so bad about a Vivendi-owned Ubisoft, Guillemot spells it out, saying that “It’s difficult for us to be part of a conglomerate because speed and agility will suffer. When you don’t have agility in our industry you’re dead. The question is whether Vivendi will then make a tender offer or not. We feel it wouldn’t be in the best interests of their shareholders because buying a company in our industry aggressively is actually very risky.”

Vivendi has actually continued to abstain from any votes during the shareholder’s meetings last year and this year, keeping to itself about what it plans to do. Analysts conclude that the best course of action for shareholders of both Ubisoft and Vivendi would be the latter selling off its shares of the video game company and reinvesting it in its own ventures rather than pushing for an expensive hostile takeover that would upset the synergies as they currently are.

KitGuru Says: I am not sure if Ubisoft’s current success can be fully attributed to its independence, but it’s obvious that the Guillemot family are doing something right in steering the company. I am more interested to see where they take it than if Ubisoft were to be absorbed into a larger conglomerate and get suffocated.

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Ubisoft’s Yves Guillemot feels ready to fight Vivendi https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/damien-cox/ubisofts-yves-guillemot-feels-ready-to-fight-vivendi/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/damien-cox/ubisofts-yves-guillemot-feels-ready-to-fight-vivendi/#comments Thu, 03 Aug 2017 21:32:05 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=342701 Ubisoft and Vivendi have been toe-to-toe for the past two years, with Ubi’s CEO, Yves Guillemot resolute in keeping his company. Things have been escalating as Vivendi increases its shares in the company and despite currently holding 27 percent as of last month, Guillemot is still fighting to preserve Ubisoft’s independence. French law dictates that …

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Ubisoft and Vivendi have been toe-to-toe for the past two years, with Ubi’s CEO, Yves Guillemot resolute in keeping his company. Things have been escalating as Vivendi increases its shares in the company and despite currently holding 27 percent as of last month, Guillemot is still fighting to preserve Ubisoft’s independence.

French law dictates that once Vivendi has a stake of 30 percent, it must make an offer to buy Ubisoft, prompting Yves Gullemot and his family to do all they can to protect their company. Since the impending threat of a hostile bid came about, the Guillemots have been acquiring shares of their own, currently holding 13.6 percent. While this pales in comparison to Vivendi’s stake, Guillemot explains to GamesIndustry.biz why this doesn't feel like a losing battle.

“Staying alive means agility, creativity and the possibility to work in an environment with people that are happy to be there and can give as much as they can to create something that will please the market. Those values are very important to fight for, so it's not only me, it's the whole company, fighting to keep its values. That's why we have more of a chance, because it's not one guy saying ‘I want to stay as the boss', it's the company itself saying ‘this is our work, so we'll do whatever we can to make sure it stays that way'.”

The fight with Vivendi is a personal one for Yves and his family. As well as previously owning Activision, the French media empire has also taken over the leading mobile publisher Gameloft, a former family business belonging to the Guillemots. While one might think that the Guillemots could predict Vivendi’s moves as history is seemingly repeating itself, the CEO explains why the two instances are incomparable.

“[Ubisoft and Gameloft] have different philosophies,” he explained. “It's not easy to compare the two because mobile companies and AAA companies are very different. The creativity needed to make Ubisoft succeed is as important as it is at Gameloft, but we're a lot more dependent on it than them. 80% of the turnover done by Gameloft is recurring. A huge amount of the turnover we do every year has to come from innovation and new products.”

Yves added how grateful he is for the support he has received from other companies as well as the 12,000-plus employees in his own who would be directly affected by such a shift.

“We live in a dangerous world,” he says. “There are challenges, and the best will remain. We are under attack; we are trying to fight against it. We think we are ready to fight against those problems.”

KitGuru Says: Yves Guillemot is certainly composed despite such an aggressive attack on his company. Ubisoft might not be the best in the world but it is trying to get back in touch with its fans. It’s scary to think what a company focused on expanding its media empire would bring to the table for the average Joe gamer.

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Vivendi increases stake in Ubisoft to 25% https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/vivendi-increases-stake-in-ubisoft-to-25/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/vivendi-increases-stake-in-ubisoft-to-25/#respond Thu, 08 Dec 2016 17:33:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=314225 It looks like Vivendi is putting more pressure on Ubisoft and its current CEO, Yves Guillemot as the former Activision owner has now increased its stake in Ubisoft to 25%. We have been hearing for months that not only do Ubisoft executives want to avoid a Vivendi takeover, but the developers at Ubisoft are also …

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It looks like Vivendi is putting more pressure on Ubisoft and its current CEO, Yves Guillemot as the former Activision owner has now increased its stake in Ubisoft to 25%. We have been hearing for months that not only do Ubisoft executives want to avoid a Vivendi takeover, but the developers at Ubisoft are also worried about the idea.

As VentureBeat discovered, Vivendi now holds 25.15 percent of Ubisoft's shares and 22.92 percent of its voting rights. French law also dictates that should Vivendi acquire more than 30 percent of Ubisoft's shares, it will have to make an offer to buyout the company entirely.

ubisoft-vivendi

Image Credit: Positive Reviewer

Ownership may not have always been Vivendi's end goal, in fact a few months back Vivendi explained that its current plan was to get a seat on the board of directors. However, this proposal was met with heavy opposition from Ubisoft leadership, so now it looks like the pressure is back on, with Vivendi increasing its stake to 24 percent last month and then increasing it again this week to 25 percent.

Aside from that, Vivendi has also notified French regulator, Autorité des Marchés, of its intentions for the next six months, with the acquisition of more shares depending on which way the market goes. For now, Vivendi does not plan to make a buyout offer or take control of Ubisoft. However, Vivendi does still want a seat on the board of directors.

KitGuru Says: This whole Ubisoft/Vivendi situation has been quite interesting to follow. However, as disappointing as Ubisoft's decision making can be at times, I can't see a Vivendi takeover bringing about any improvements. Hopefully it doesn't end up coming to that though, either way, it seems that Ubisoft is safe for the next six months.

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Vivendi’s share of Ubisoft is still growing, at 24 percent https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/vivendis-share-of-ubisoft-is-still-growing-at-24-percent/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/vivendis-share-of-ubisoft-is-still-growing-at-24-percent/#respond Wed, 09 Nov 2016 08:47:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=311122 Despite a concerted effort by Ubisoft founders and executives, French multinational media conglomerate Vivendi, is still managing to increase its stake in the publisher. In the past few months it's increased its ownership of the company to 24 percent, cementing its attempt at a hostile takeover. Vivendi's last big stint in the video game industry …

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Despite a concerted effort by Ubisoft founders and executives, French multinational media conglomerate Vivendi, is still managing to increase its stake in the publisher. In the past few months it's increased its ownership of the company to 24 percent, cementing its attempt at a hostile takeover.

Vivendi's last big stint in the video game industry was as the parent company of Activision Blizzard, though that gaming giant bought its way out in 2013 for several billion dollars. From then Vivendi remained somewhat absent in the industry, until it began buying Ubisoft stock in late 2015 and then announced its intention to seize control of the company earlier this year.

guillemot

What Ubisoft executives look like right now. Probably. 

Since then it's managed to seize control of Ubisoft mobile publisher/developer subsidiary, Gameloft and has gradually increased its stake in Ubisoft itself, reaching just shy of a quarter this week. Ubisoft has attempted to defend itself from this takeover attempt, buying up shares and urging those with them not to sell to Vivendi, but it's not doing much to slow the tide.

While Vivendi is still a long way off from having a controlling stake in the company, what's concerning many of Ubisoft's executives is that all it really needs is 30 per cent in order to trigger an automatic takeover bid (thanks PCGN). This would put Vivendi in a very favourable position and could potentially see it wrest control of the company, which has been owned and operated by members of the Guillemot family for over 30 years.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While this is all business and perfectly legal, it can't be nice to have a company as large as Vivendi this aggressively pursuing ownership of your company. That is the risk of disseminating shares as broadly as Ubisoft has done though. 

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Ubisoft “won’t relax” until Vivendi sells all shares https://www.kitguru.net/channel/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-wont-relax-until-vivendi-sells-all-shares/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-wont-relax-until-vivendi-sells-all-shares/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2016 13:10:44 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=307431 Ubisoft is in a tough position right now, with Vivendi buying up shares in the build-up to what seems like a forceful takeover of the games publisher. This has caused a lot of concern amongst Ubisoft executives but it will all come to a head at the company's annual board meeting this week, at which …

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Ubisoft is in a tough position right now, with Vivendi buying up shares in the build-up to what seems like a forceful takeover of the games publisher. This has caused a lot of concern amongst Ubisoft executives but it will all come to a head at the company's annual board meeting this week, at which Vivendi is expected to make a bid for a seat on the board of directors, something that CEO Yves Guillemot is taking a hard stance against.

Ubisoft's annual general meeting takes place today, at which Vivendi is expected to formally seek representation on the board of directors, in the lead-up to a full-blown takeover. However, speaking with The Wall Street Journal, Yves Guillemot made it pretty clear that Vivendi's investments are completely unwelcome and the publisher “won't relax” until they sell their entire stake.

ubisoft

“We won't relax until they sell their shares,” Guillemot said. “The creeping control strategy implemented by Vivendi is dangerous. We think that there's a great risk of shareholders losing value.”

Ubisoft has been making efforts to win over shareholders and keep control ever since Vivendi started increasing its ownership stake. Earlier this week, the company bought back £106 million worth of shares to try and strengthen its position.

KitGuru Says: It took Activision years to buy back control of itself from Vivendi and it looks like Ubisoft's CEO is worried about his company being in the same position. It looks like we can expect to hear something after the meeting today.

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Ubisoft spent another £106 million to prevent Vivendi buyout https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/ubisoft-spent-another-106-million-to-prevent-vivendi-buyout/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/ubisoft-spent-another-106-million-to-prevent-vivendi-buyout/#respond Tue, 27 Sep 2016 11:34:39 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=307214 Vivendi has been aggressively attempting to take over French publishing giant Ubisoft for the best part of a year, but its original founders have been fighting back. In a recent attempt to prevent Vivendi from becoming its new boss, Ubisoft has spent over £100 million to buy up a further 3.2 per cent of its …

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Vivendi has been aggressively attempting to take over French publishing giant Ubisoft for the best part of a year, but its original founders have been fighting back. In a recent attempt to prevent Vivendi from becoming its new boss, Ubisoft has spent over £100 million to buy up a further 3.2 per cent of its shares from a French investment bank.

After taking over Ubisoft publisher subsidiary GameLoft with a 51 percent share of the total stock, Vivendi has continued circling Ubisoft, quite publicly announcing its intention to gain a seat on the executive board. It's been buying up stock where it can and at the time of writing has acquired a total of 22.8 per cent of Ubisoft, edging it ever closer to that controlling stake.

Ubisoft executives have been hoping to stave this off however and along with encouraging current investors not to sell their stakes to Vivendi, have been buying back shares of the company to better protect them. The most recent move saw them purchase the 3.2 per cent share from the Bpifrance bank, as per PCGamesN.

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If only Ubisoft could call in its heroes to help

Ubisoft co-founder and and CEO, Yves Guillemot even released a statement thanking Bpifrance for selling back Ubisoft shares, as well as its ongoing support for the French publisher.

As much as an additional three per cent improves the position of current Ubisoft executives, it doesn't mitigate the fact that Vivendi has a large portion of the company's stock. It is expected that should it be granted a seat on the board of directors, that that nominee would push for an eventual full takeover by Vivendi.

Indeed it's not as far off as you might think. If it were able to acquire 30 percent, it would earn the right to put in a bid for the remaining shares to gain a controlling stake.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Vivendi previously owned Activision/Blizzard, but sold its stake back to them a couple of years ago. As perhaps the most prolific publisher right now, Ubisoft is a smart purchase, but an expensive one. This is going to be a back and forth war which seems unlikely to end any time soon. 

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Ubisoft founders to buy shares to ward off Vivendi takeover https://www.kitguru.net/professional/jon-martindale/ubisoft-founders-to-buy-shares-to-ward-off-vivendi-takeover/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/jon-martindale/ubisoft-founders-to-buy-shares-to-ward-off-vivendi-takeover/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2016 10:32:10 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=305266 The Guillemot family which originally founded game publishing giant, Ubisoft, is set to buy up 3.5 per cent of the company's shares, in order to help ward off a hostile takeover from Videndi. This would bring the Guillemot's to around 12.5 per cent ownership of the company, increasing their stake by four million shares. Ubisoft …

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The Guillemot family which originally founded game publishing giant, Ubisoft, is set to buy up 3.5 per cent of the company's shares, in order to help ward off a hostile takeover from Videndi. This would bring the Guillemot's to around 12.5 per cent ownership of the company, increasing their stake by four million shares.

Ubisoft stock is currently trading around £30 per, so this represents an investment around £120 million in the French publisher. However it's not much compared to the amounts that Vivendi has been investing in Guillemot founded companies.

The French multinational media company has been investing hundreds of millions of euros in Ubisoft and its mobile game publisher, Gameloft, which it recently gained a controlling stake in, despite the Guillemot family's best efforts. They now want to stop that happening with Ubisoft, hence the stock purchase.

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Vivendi left the video game publishing game back in 2013, when it allowed Activision/Blizzard to buy up its stake in their joint ventures. However it soon began circling Ubisoft as a potential new project and it's been buying stock since. Currently Vivendi owns 20.1 per cent of Ubisoft and a full 56 per cent of Gameloft (thanks Reuters).

While the Guillemot family retains a director at Gameloft, it has conceded that it will not be able to regain control of the company. It now hopes to be able to do much better at protecting the interests of Ubisoft. This purchase is part of that plan, but it has also been reported that several members of the family have been courting other share holders to encourage them to refuse to sell to Vivendi, should the offer arise.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Although Ubisoft isn't exactly the most beloved of game publishers, ranking up there somewhere with EA Games, you can understand the original founders wanting to keep the business publicly controlled, rather than at the whim of a mega corporation. 

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Ubisoft to expand board to fight Vivendi takeover https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-to-expand-board-to-fight-vivendi-takeover/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-to-expand-board-to-fight-vivendi-takeover/#comments Tue, 05 Jul 2016 16:26:54 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=298391 Ubisoft has been fighting off a potential hostile takeover from Vivendi for a while now  but this week the publisher announced that it has moved to expand its board of directors, which will in turn lessen the amount of leverage Vivendi could have should it keep buying its way into the company. Recently, Vivendi's CEO spoke …

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Ubisoft has been fighting off a potential hostile takeover from Vivendi for a while now  but this week the publisher announced that it has moved to expand its board of directors, which will in turn lessen the amount of leverage Vivendi could have should it keep buying its way into the company.

Recently, Vivendi's CEO spoke out to propose a “fruitful cooperation” between his own company and Ubisoft but he also asked for a seat on the board of directors. Now with Ubisoft expanding its board with two new independent members, it will lessen the effect that Vivendi could have on the direction the publisher takes going forward, as Game Informer points out.

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The two people joining Ubisoft's board of directors include Frédérique Dame and Florence Naviner, Dame was an exec at Uber from 2012 to 2016 while Naviner is the Senior Vice President and CFO of Wrigley. This pair provides a certain level of expertise when it comes to human resources and corporate strategy, which could help in the current situation.

Mike Futter of Game Informer has put together a really handy explainer for the whole Ubisoft/Vivendi situation and how it could end up affecting the publisher going forward, so that is also worth checking out.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE. 

KitGuru Says: Ubisoft's current CEO, Yves Guillemot has already opposed this takeover but Vivendi isn't showing any signs of backing down. This doesn't mean much for consumers right now, but this is a situation worth keeping an eye on. 

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Vivendi buys up even more shares in Ubisoft https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/vivendi-buys-up-even-more-shares-in-ubisoft/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/vivendi-buys-up-even-more-shares-in-ubisoft/#comments Mon, 02 May 2016 16:27:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=291376 While Activision may have managed to escape the clutches of Vivendi, attention has now turned to Ubisoft. A few months back, Vivendi began buying up shares in Ubisoft and the publisher's CEO spoke openly about opposing any form of takeover. However, this week, Vivendi bought even more shares in Ubisoft and if it continues, it …

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While Activision may have managed to escape the clutches of Vivendi, attention has now turned to Ubisoft. A few months back, Vivendi began buying up shares in Ubisoft and the publisher's CEO spoke openly about opposing any form of takeover. However, this week, Vivendi bought even more shares in Ubisoft and if it continues, it could end up with a controlling stake.

According to a report from Reuters, a letter to the French stock market regulator shows that Vivendi now holds a 17.73 percent stake in Ubisoft, along with a 15.66 percent share of its voting rights.

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Last year, Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot branded Vivendi's rapid share buying as “unsolicited and unwelcome” and while there are some concerns that a hostile takeover might be under way, according t0 Gamastura, Vivendi has no immediate plans to seek control over Ubisoft or present a public offer for any remaining shares.

Vivendi started this whole thing off by purchasing a ten percent stake in Ubisoft right off the bat for 244 million euros. That stake seems to be steadily rising throughout the course of 2016.

KitGuru Says: As bad as Ubisoft might seem from time to time, a hostile takeover probably won't do the publisher any favours in terms of its franchises. 

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Vivendi is trying to muscle in and take over Ubisoft https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/vivendi-is-trying-to-muscle-in-and-take-over-ubisoft/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/vivendi-is-trying-to-muscle-in-and-take-over-ubisoft/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2016 12:29:29 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=285426 Vivendi is a company with a lot of fingers in a lot of pies, though most recently it took a step back from the gaming industry when it sold its stake in Activision/Blizzard back to the publishing giant. However it soon set its sight on another large corporation: Ubisoft, and has been aggressively buying up …

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Vivendi is a company with a lot of fingers in a lot of pies, though most recently it took a step back from the gaming industry when it sold its stake in Activision/Blizzard back to the publishing giant. However it soon set its sight on another large corporation: Ubisoft, and has been aggressively buying up shares in what looks like an attempt at a hostile takeover ever since.

The first buy up of shares it made last year netted Vivendi a six per cent stake in Ubisoft, but that was just the beginning. Since then its spent another $60 million (as per Eurogamer) which means it now owns a full 10 per cent of Ubisoft, including parts of its sister company Gameloft.

While companies like Vivendi regularly buy up shares of interesting firms that might benefit it in the future, Ubisoft is not pleased with this acquisition attempt. It released a statement saying that it considered the aggressive share buying as “unwelcome,” and that it would take steps to “preserve [its] independence.”

vivenditakeover

How do you think the characters would feel?

Vivendi is gunning hard for the French publisher though and in some cases is offering upwards of 50 per cent more per share than the going rate, which will be tempting for current stock holders to take advantage of. Since it now owns 30 per cent of Gameloft too, it  must (by French law) make a takeover bid to achieve a controlling 51 per cent stake in the business.

It may be that Ubisoft appeals to share holders of its main business and Gameloft and requests that they not sell to Vivendi, but stock owners are not always known for their moral stances. If it can't mount a defence though, Ubisoft may soon find Vivendi executives on its board of directors, which will give it further influence within the publisher's ranks.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Although Ubisoft is often put up there with the likes of EA as some of the least loved publishers, would you be happy to see a company like Vivendi gain a controlling share?

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Vivendi raises stake in Ubisoft https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/vivendi-raises-stake-in-ubisoft/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/vivendi-raises-stake-in-ubisoft/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2015 19:42:55 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=272738 Last night, we heard that Vivendi, the same company that previously took over a majority stake in Activision, had begun acquiring shares in Ubisoft. At the time, the publisher's CEO expressed concern that Vivendi would keep raising its take in the company until it had a majority of shares under its belt and therefore, a …

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Last night, we heard that Vivendi, the same company that previously took over a majority stake in Activision, had begun acquiring shares in Ubisoft. At the time, the publisher's CEO expressed concern that Vivendi would keep raising its take in the company until it had a majority of shares under its belt and therefore, a significant amount of control over future endeavours.

Now, it seems that history might be repeating itself. Vivendi held a majority stake in Activision before the publisher acquired its shares back two years ago for $8 billion and now, Ubisoft is the new target. Vivendi's initial investment in Ubisoft saw it spend $161 million for just over a six per cent stake in the company, now that stake has been raised to 10.4 per cent, according to GamesIndustry.biz

Ubisoft_E32014

Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot has not yet spoke out again about the newly raised stake though as we saw in our report last night, it seems that he is opposed to the investments and would not want to see Vivendi control the majority of Ubisoft stock.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to see if Vivendi continues to buy up Ubisoft stock over the next few weeks or months. Activision clearly had reason to shake the company a couple of years back and Ubisoft's CEO doesn't seem to appreciate their interest either. 

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Ubisoft CEO isn’t happy with ‘unwelcome’ $161 million investment https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-ceo-isnt-happy-with-unwelcome-161-million-investment/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/ubisoft-ceo-isnt-happy-with-unwelcome-161-million-investment/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2015 21:11:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=272590 Ubisoft recently received a $161 million investment from a company known as Vivendi, which is known for aggressively pursuing companies within the entertainment sector. As it turns out, Ubisoft's CEO isn't too happy about the cash infusion, according to an internal memo circulating over at the publisher's offices. The internal email brands the huge investment …

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Ubisoft recently received a $161 million investment from a company known as Vivendi, which is known for aggressively pursuing companies within the entertainment sector. As it turns out, Ubisoft's CEO isn't too happy about the cash infusion, according to an internal memo circulating over at the publisher's offices.

The internal email brands the huge investment as “unsolicited and unwelcome”. In total, Vivendi's money bought it a 6.6 per cent stake in Ubisoft and CEO Yves Guillemot is worried that this isn't their first buy-in. The email was obtained by GamesIndustry.biz

Ubisoft_E32014

Vivendi could potentially continue to aggressively purchase massive amounts of shares until it has a majority stake in the company. Ubisoft's CEO is worried that if Vivendi did end up in control, that it wouldn't “understand [Ubisoft's] expertise and what it takes to succeed in [the games industry]”. Ubisoft will apparently fight off any potential take over in an effort to preserve its independence. Guillemot also doesn't want current Ubisoft developers to be distracted by this unwanted business and to keep focussing on game development for now.

Some of you might remember Vivendi as the company that bought a majority stake in Activision. A couple of years ago, the publisher had to pay $8 billion to regain its independence.

KitGuru Says: Ubisoft Has developed some huge franchises over the last few years, the company even has a typical formula that all of its games follow. However, the company and its future games could be adversely affected by a takeover from an outside company. 

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Vivendi gets back into video games with Ubisoft stock buy up https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/vivendi-gets-back-into-video-games-with-ubisoft-stock-buy-up/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/vivendi-gets-back-into-video-games-with-ubisoft-stock-buy-up/#respond Thu, 15 Oct 2015 07:55:58 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=271824 Vivendi is one of those background names that was in the gaming industry, but not in the gaming industry. It used to own a majority stake in Activision Blizzard, but when that publishing giant freed itself from its corporate overlords with a stock purchase in 2013, Vivendi took even more of a back seat than it had …

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Vivendi is one of those background names that was in the gaming industry, but not in the gaming industry. It used to own a majority stake in Activision Blizzard, but when that publishing giant freed itself from its corporate overlords with a stock purchase in 2013, Vivendi took even more of a back seat than it had before. Now though it's looking to skip forward a few rows again, as it's purchased a stake in Ubisoft and in fellow French international developer/publisher, Gameloft.

The stakes in both are considered only minor, despite the large outlay of cash. For 160 million euros (£118 million) Vivendi purchased 6.6 per cent of Ubisoft, and for another 19.7 million euros (£14.5 million) bought a slightly smaller stake – 6.2 per cent – in Gameloft.

vivendi
When you can list Universal Music Group as one of your subsidiaries, you're a giant company

Although hardly the biggest outlay of Vivendi's existence, this does represent a turn around from the wave of sales that the corporation has been riding for the past few years. Selling off assets has built it up a multi-billion euro stockpile, which puts it in a very liquid, potential-filled state. However as the WSJ (via AGB) points out, only small purchases have yet been made – including the buying of Dailymotion and a minor stake in an Italian telecom company.

These latest buys may be an indication of more purchases to come. Ubisoft, while reviled by many gamers is still one of the most successful publishers in the world, with a number of popular franchises to its name. It will be interesting to see if Vivendi looks to take a more commanding stake in its future.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What kind of impact do you think Vivendi has on the industry now it's weighing back in again? Do those struggling for cash look to it as a potential saviour?

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Activision Blizzard buys its freedom https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/activision-blizzard-buys-its-freedom/ Mon, 14 Oct 2013 07:30:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=157424 Activision Blizzard has finally completed its buyback from parent company Vivendi, for a total of $8.2 billion, and has once again become an independent company, despite a stall in the process during the earlier days of October, where a share holder brought legal action against the publishing giant for not bringing the matter to him …

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Activision Blizzard has finally completed its buyback from parent company Vivendi, for a total of $8.2 billion, and has once again become an independent company, despite a stall in the process during the earlier days of October, where a share holder brought legal action against the publishing giant for not bringing the matter to him and his contemporaries.

Not all of these many billions will be shelled out in the next few days however, with Vivendi only set to receive $1.2 billion in cash in the near future, with some of that being made up of “recently issued debt.” Another $1.25 billion will be received in 2021, with a further 750 $million coming in 2024. These totals were used to purchase 429 million sharees for $5.83 billion, with Activision's CEO Bobby Kotick and co-chairman buying 172 million shares themselves in a separate transaction.

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“Activision, is freeeee!”

“With the completion of this transaction we open a new chapter in the history of Activision Blizzard,” Mr. Kotick said. “We expect immediate shareholder benefits in the form of earnings-per-share accretion and strategic and operational independence. Our audiences and our incredibly talented employees around the world will benefit from a focused commitment to the creation of great games. Our shareholders and debt holders will have the benefit of an energized, invested, deeply committed management team focused on generating long-term, superior returns and effectively managing our capital structure.”

How To Cure Hidradenitis Suppurativa With

The post Activision Blizzard buys its freedom first appeared on KitGuru.]]> Activision Blizzard sale put on hold https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/activision-blizzard-sale-put-on-hold/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/activision-blizzard-sale-put-on-hold/#comments Thu, 19 Sep 2013 12:06:15 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=153436 Activision Blizzard, one of the world's biggest game publishing companies, was set to buy itself out from parent company Vivendi, but that has now been stalled, due to a lawsuit from shareholder Douglas Hayes, which suggests that the sale could not be completed without unfairly enriching CEO of Activision Blizzard Bobby Kotich and co-chairman Brian …

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Activision Blizzard, one of the world's biggest game publishing companies, was set to buy itself out from parent company Vivendi, but that has now been stalled, due to a lawsuit from shareholder Douglas Hayes, which suggests that the sale could not be completed without unfairly enriching CEO of Activision Blizzard Bobby Kotich and co-chairman Brian Kelly.

Both stand to receive over 170 million shares in the company between them, setting their investment group back over $2.3 billion (£1.5 billion). This is on top of the 429 million shares at $13.60 per share, that Activision Blizzard as a company, would acquire from Vivendi.

vivendi
It's hard to imagine a company able to own a huge firm like Activision Blizzard, but French corporation Vivendi, dwarfs the publishing giant

However, Hayes believes this deal would be unfair to every other share holder and wants non-Vivendi approval from stock owners. According to the Wired coverage of the story however, Activision Blizzard is still: “committed to the transaction and is exploring the steps it will take to complete the transaction as expeditiously as possible.”

In order to do as it says however and “complete the transaction,” the publisher will need to either  find some way of modifying Hayes' appeal, perhaps through some kind of personal settlement, or find some way to receive approval from non-Vivendi stock holders.

KitGuru Says: There was always going to be some complications with big money getting thrown around like this, but it will be interesting to see if Mr Hayes isn't the only Activision Blizzard stock holder who doesn't approve of this deal. 

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Activision buys itself back from Vivendi for $8 billion https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/activision-buys-itself-back-from-vivendi-for-8-billion/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/activision-buys-itself-back-from-vivendi-for-8-billion/#respond Fri, 26 Jul 2013 11:03:11 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=144375 French multinational media firm, Vivendi, has announced that it is selling its 85 per cent stake in publishing giant Activision Blizzard, for a cool $8.2 (£5.3) billion. While this is obviously a fair chunk of change, the individual share price of $13.60 each, equates to a 10 per cent savings over the closing Thursday share …

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French multinational media firm, Vivendi, has announced that it is selling its 85 per cent stake in publishing giant Activision Blizzard, for a cool $8.2 (£5.3) billion. While this is obviously a fair chunk of change, the individual share price of $13.60 each, equates to a 10 per cent savings over the closing Thursday share price, netting Activision a nice discount.

However, it's not all cut and dry with Activision retaking total control of its affairs. While 429 million shares will be bought by the publisher for $5.83 billion, an investor group led by the CEO Bobby Kotick and co-chairman Brian Kelly, will separately purchase 172 million shares for a further $2.34 billion.

cod
CoD is leaving the grip of the French for good. 

Kotick said of the deal: These transactions together represent a tremendous opportunity for Activision Blizzard and all its shareholders, including Vivendi. We should emerge even stronger – an independent company with a best-in-class portfolio and the focus and flexibility to drive long-term shareholder value.”

He also mentioned that despite the impressive cash outlay from the company, Activison Blizzard still has over $3 billion in liquid finance sitting in the bank. It's done this by not actually buying itself out with cash-money, but with a big chunk of “debt-proceeds,” worth upwards of $4.6 billion. Some of the finance has come from the Bank of America too.

The deal is expected to close by the end of September this year.

If you want to view the long, long document detailing every aspect of the deal, You can find it here.

KitGuru Says: We always see Activision Blizzard as this giant entity – and it is – but when you talk Vivendi, you're in a whole other ball game. Its revenue is just 30 billion euros a year. That's crazy money. 

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Vivendi calls banks to broker Activision Blizzard sale https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/vivendi-calls-banks-to-broker-activision-blizzard-sale/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/vivendi-calls-banks-to-broker-activision-blizzard-sale/#respond Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:00:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=100572 Vivendi SA, the company with a 61 per cent stake in Activision Blizzard, has purportedly called in the assistance of both Barclays and Goldman Sachs to help facilitate and broker the sale of the publishing house, though to whom, is currently unknown. One of the rumours circulating around sites like the Wall Street Journal, is …

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Vivendi SA, the company with a 61 per cent stake in Activision Blizzard, has purportedly called in the assistance of both Barclays and Goldman Sachs to help facilitate and broker the sale of the publishing house, though to whom, is currently unknown.

One of the rumours circulating around sites like the Wall Street Journal, is that Activision Blizzard will be buying out the Vivendi stake in order to take total control, though it will need to find around $8 billion (£5.12 billion) to do so. Other potential buyers include Disney, Microsoft, Tencent and Nexon – though other rumours suggest that there has been little in the way of enthusiasm for the buyout so far.

Activision Blizzard
Who would want to own the rights to Call of Duty and WoW? No one apparently.

If Vivendi is indeed looking to sell off the publishing giant, it's not picking a bad time to do so. While MMO standard World of Warcraft is still raking in hundreds of millions a year, its dominance is beginning to wane. Add to that the fact that with the recent release of Diablo III, the next big unveiling from Blizzard is expected to be a while off, Vivendi would certainly be selling at a high point.

KitGuru Says:  All of this is still hot air at the moment though. Until an official announcement is made by Vivendi or Activision Blizzard, we'll just need to wait and see.

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