Vivendi Universal: Encyclopedia - Vivendi Universal

Vivendi Universal

Vivendi Universal (VU) is a French company active in media and communications with activities in music, television and film, publishing, telecommunications and the Internet.

The company disclosed a corporate loss of 23.3 billion euros in its 2002 annual report: the worst loss to this date for a French company. Amid intense media scrutiny, its flamboyant Chairman and CEO, Jean-Marie Messier (who had overseen the most dramatic phase of the company's diversification), was subsequently replaced by Jean-René Fourtou.

Messier's rapid expansion of the firm, during which he overpaid hugely for media assets, saddling the company with debt far in excess of its market valuation and ultimately bringing it to the brink of collapse, has become a study in the triumph of personal ambition and greed over commom sense.

Vivendi Universal - History

Vivendi Universal was created in December of 2000 with the massive merger of the Vivendi media empire with Canal+ television networks and the Canadian company Seagram, the owner of Universal Studios film company. What had once been Vivendi's core business (water and waste services and other utilities) had previously been spun off as a separate company, now known as Veolia Environnement.

See the individual companies' articles for pre-merger company history.

Vivendi Universal - 2001

• In 2001, VU acquired MP3.com and a leading American publisher, Houghton Mifflin.

Vivendi Universal - 2002

• In 2002, VU began facing financial trouble. It began financial reshuffling, trying to shore up media holdings while selling off shares in its spin-off companies.
• VU reduced its stake in Vivendi Environnement to 40% and sold its stake in Vinci Construction.
• The flamboyant company's Chairman and CEO, Jean-Marie Messier (who had overseen the most dramatic phase of Vivendi's diversification) resigned. He was replaced by Jean-Rene Fourtou. The company then began reorganizing to stave off bankruptcy. The company announced its strategy to sell non-strategic assets. Its largest single shareholder was the family of Edgar Bronfman, Jr., who was head of Seagram at the time of the merger.
• VU sold its stake in Vizzavi to Vodafone, with the exception of Vizzavi France. It also sold 20.4% of Vivendi Environnement's capital to a group of investors, and its stake in North American satellite operator EchoStar Communications Corporation.

Vivendi Universal - 2003

• VU sold Canal+ Technologies to Thomson (formerly Thomson Multimédia); Tele+ to News Corporation and Telecom Italia. It also sold its 26.3% interest in Xfera.
• On March 6, 2003, Vivendi disclosed its annual report (term ended at December 31,2002), that is downloadable in pdf format on its site. Some highlights include:
  • Corporate loss of 23.3 billion euros: the worst loss for a French company.
  • Net debt of 12.3 billion euros
  • Vivendi will sell assets for 7 billons euros in 2003
• On December 1, 2003, Vivendi closed a deal to sell MP3.com to CNET.
• Defying predictions that it would be unable to raise the cash needed, VU bought out one of the two minority shareholders in Cegetel, taking its holding to 60 percent, with Vodafone holding the remaining 40 percent. Management viewed the mobile communications firm as a core asset once the bulk of media assets had been sold off. Vodafone remains keen to add Cegetel to its portfolio and a move to gain control, possibly via a bid for the whole of VU, cannot be ruled out in the future.

Vivendi Universal - 2004

• The Vivendi Universal Entertainment branch merged with NBC to form NBC Universal, with VU retaining a 25 percent stake.
• VU also sold its interests in Kencell, Monaco Telecom and Sportfive (which it held through Canal+ Group).
• VU sold Newsworld International to the business partnership of Joel Hyatt and former Vice-President of the United States Al Gore
• VU and Valve Software (makers of Half-Life) went head to head over the distribution of Half-Life 2 to cyber cafés, they later came to an agreement stating:
  • The authority of distributing cyber café licenses are to be handed over to Valve from VUG (and Sierra), and licenses granted by VUG and Sierra to cyber cafés prior to the agreement are revoked.
  • VUG would cease distributing all retail packaged versions of Valve games by August 31, 2005.

Vivendi Universal - 2005

• VU shuts down the fanmade King's Quest IX project, a few months before the final release date.
• Petition is started to save the shut down King's Quest IX project is started. Save Kings Quest IX
• VUG (Vivendi Universal Games) on the 9th December 2005, reaches agreement with Phoenix Freeware (developers of the King's Quest IX project) to continue development. King's Quest IX is set 3 months behind shedule but back in development now. The developers hope to release the first game in the trilogy Q2 of 2006 or earlier. No official date has been set.

Vivendi Universal - Current assets partial list

• Canal+ Group - 100%
• Universal Music Group - 92%
• Vivendi Universal Games - 99% (which includes Blizzard Entertainment)
• NBC Universal - 20% long-term ownership interest
• SFR - 56%
• Maroc Telecom - 51%
• Sierra Entertainment
• Seagram

See also

• List of French companies
• List of assets owned by Vivendi Universal

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Vivendi Universal", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki