A joint bid from Spanish communications firm Telefonica and entertainment company Vivendi seems the most likely resolution to the ongoing sale of the Digital+ DTH platform.
Juan Luis Cebrian, chief executive of Prisa, the Spanish media company that put Digital+ on the block following its acquisition of the Sogecable business, confirmed talks with the two companies during a shareholder meeting on Friday. Cebrian added that offers had also been received from a number of other interested parties. However, bids are thought to have fallen short of the €2.5 billion being sought by Prisa.
Market analysts have suggested that Vivendi and Telefonica may look to split the assets of Digital+ to avoid competition issues. Vivendi would most likely take the content area of the business, bringing the Spanish Canal+ directly under its control, while Telefonica would be happy to merge the distribution activities with its burgeoning IPTV business.
