Three bidders have emerged for the French commercial channel TF1 after Bertelsmann put its share on the market.
French businessman Stéphane Courbit, the chairman of production company Banijay is offering €20 a share for Bertelsmann’s 48.3% stake.
Xavier Niel, who last week acquired a 2.5% piece in the telecoms company Vodafone is also said to have placed a bid as has the Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky.
Bertlesmann announced it was seeking a buyer following the effective collapse of its plans to merge with rival TF1.
The German company had asked bidders to make themselves known by last Friday, the tight timetable explained by a licence renewal that has to be applied for by May next year.
If the sale goes through by the end of October there will be enough time for the competition authority and new look media regulator Arcom to assess the victor.
