Vivendi
The Vivendi SA ( December 2000 to April 2006, Vivendi Universal) is the largest French media group, which is partly internationally in the music, television, film, publishing, telecommunications and Internet industries. He is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and led both the CAC 40 and Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50.
. The highest loss that a French company had to absorb up to this point - to dubious fame, the company, whose roots date back to the 19th century, by a record loss of over 23 billion euros in fiscal 2002 reached
- 2.1 Universal Music Group
- 2.2 Vivendi Games
- 2.3 Canal Group
- 2.4 SFR
- 2.5 Maroc Telecom
- 2.6 Watch Ever
History
Compagnie Générale des Eaux
The water company Compagnie Générale des Eaux (CGE ) was established on December 14, 1853 by decree founded in Paris, in 1854 a concession was awarded to a hundred years to supply the city of Lyon with drinking water. The CGE was awarded in 1861 a further concession to 50 years for the supply of the city of Paris. Water supply remained until well into the 20th century the core business.
The change of CEO in 1976 marked a shift in the strategic orientation of the company. The CGE began to take over smaller companies and from 1980 also on other sectors operates sewage and waste management, energy supply, transport services, construction and real estate.
In 1983, the CGE participated in the creation of Canal , the first pay- TV channels in France. A new CEO coined from 1996 a new expansion of the CGE; the establishment of the Cegetel formed the basis for entry into the business of telecommunications and mass media.
Vivendi
In 1998 the company changed its name to Vivendi, which the traditional name disappeared Compagnie Générale des Eaux, respectively, which is now much more frequently encountered abbreviation CGE. Vivendi in France alone employed 190 300 people and generated a turnover of 167,100 million francs in the same year.
The liberalized in France in the same year helped Vivendi telecommunications market through its subsidiary Cegetel to accelerated growth and resulted in further enhanced orientation towards media group. On the one hand this, other companies were partially or completely added bought the other hand, existing commitments were spun off or sold off into independent companies; In 1999, Vivendi separated by construction and property management.
In July 2000, followed by a profound change: the environmental technology sectors (water, waste, energy, transport), which for many years formed the core segment of the business, have been moved to the independent company Vivendi Environnement and floated (IPO in Paris in July 2000, IPO in New York in October 2001). All staff shares were transferred in the risk structure rich division Vivendi Universal. While Vivendi not six months later changes its name to Vivendi Universal, Vivendi Environnement in the renaming of Veolia Environnement takes place only in 2003.
Vivendi Universal
In December 2000, merged the remaining part of the Vivendi group - the media and telecommunications sectors - with the Canal Group and the Canadian Seagram, owner of the former MCA company Universal Music, and Universal Studios. The merger, Vivendi Universal ( VU) was the greatest French media company that controlled by Universal Music, the world's largest record company and via Universal Studios Holding one of the six major studios in Hollywood. The merger is also the family. Edgar Bronfman Jr. to that already controlled Seagram, the largest single shareholder of Vivendi Universal.
During the first fiscal year of the new media group passed virtually unnoticed, already piled up 2002, various financial problems that you no longer able to hide. The company began to redeploy and diverse holdings for sale - the proportion of Vivendi Environnement was lowered to 40 % - while CEO Jean- Marie Messier reiterated that it was only a few difficulties.
Even in July 2002, Messier had to leave the company and a profound restructuring had to be taken to avert a looming bankruptcy. There were other sales, the proportion of Vivendi Environnement was lowered to 19.6%. The new CEO was from 2002, Jean- Bernard Lévy.
As the annual report for fiscal year 2002 was released on 6 March 2003, the true extent of which was "difficulties" Republic: The company introduced a loss of 23.3 billion euros and had net debt of 12.3 billion euros. To get out of the financial quagmire, was seen before, during the year 2003 to sell parts of the company to the value of 7 billion euros.
Vivendi Universal Entertainment
The announcement of the sale of such expensive parts of the company made it clear that there had to be a case of the larger, former parts of Seagram. Since the Universal Music Group (UMG ) already was the largest company in its industry and continued to be profitable, Vivendi Universal Entertainment ( VUE ) became the focus of attention. Already in May 2003, divided Vivendi Universal and the National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) with that one himself had become basically agree on the acquisition of VUE and the future of its controlling Universal Studios Holding and the business to be approved by the various antitrust and competition authorities must.
On October 8, signed in 2003, General Electric ( GE), the parent company of NBC and Vivendi Universal, the final agreement on the implementation of the media company NBC Universal ( NBCU ) by the combination of NBC and VUE. Was full Attracted the contractually agreed merger on May 11, 2004, after the approval of all competent authorities. NBC Universal took on 12 May 2004 on his business.
Has various schemes for the possible sale of the minority stake of VU to NBCU. A waiting period allows VU, at the earliest, to sell the shares for 2006, and GE secures a right of first refusal. The agreements date back to 2010 and give, put the case that VU has not sold his shares until then, GE the ability to force insurance companies to sell the shares, which VU will have by the year 2011, no shares of NBCU more.
Recent History
On 20 April 2006, the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting decided to change the name of the company again in Vivendi. This was accompanied by the introduction of a new corporate identity.
On 6 September 2006 it was announced that Bertelsmann 's music publishing BMG Music Publishing will sell for 1.63 billion euros to Vivendi. Through this acquisition, Vivendi is the largest music publisher in the world.
On November 2, 2007 announced Vivendi chief Jean -Bernard Lévy, that she buys the U.S. company Activision. This acquisition creates a giant game, which is worth $ 18.9 billion according to the company. The company will in future be called Activision Blizzard, Vivendi which takes over the majority. She paid $ 1.7 billion, among other compensation to the Activision shareholders. This gives Vivendi a shareholding of 62%. The company will, however, continue to remain listed on the Stock Exchange.
The Vivendi SA has taken over in 2009, the Brazilian telecommunications company GVT Holding SA for around two billion euros.
In summer 2012, Jean -Bernard Lévy was from the company's chairmanship of Jean -François Dubos.
Since January 9, 2013 Vivendi is active in the German video on demand market with the supplier Watch Ever GmbH. In the service you can look for a monthly fee movies and series as a video stream similar to the competitor Lovefilm and max cathedrals. The distinguishing feature of the broad support of various players and the frequent availability of the original sound are especially noteworthy. Was advertised the start, especially in the Axel Springer media image or computer screen.
Subsidiaries
Universal Music Group
Together with the Universal Music Group, the record company with the largest share of the music market, and the Universal Studios Holding controls the company Vivendi is one of the six major studios in Hollywood. The "Universal Music Group " ( UMG ) is considered a major label. It was formed in 1995 from the acquisition of the Music Corporation of America ( MCA) by Seagram and the acquisition of PolyGram in 1998. Since the UMG is the company with the largest share of the music business and in 2005 showed a global market share of 25.6 % from.
Universal Music to include the record labels Motown Record Company, Verve Music Group, Mercury Nashville, Iceland Def Jam Records, Polydor, Urban, Koch International and German Grammophon. The German office in Berlin in 2003 was a founding partner of the Pop Academy Baden- Wuerttemberg GmbH. Goal of the commitment is the thorough training of future management development within the bachelor 's degree course in Music Business.
Vivendi Games
The Vivendi Games included ( to April 2006 Vivendi Universal Games ) game developers and distributors included, among other things, Sierra Entertainment ( FEAR, King's Quest, Space Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, Caesar series and other building strategy games like Pharaoh and The First Emperor ) and Blizzard Entertainment ( Warcraft series, Diablo, World of Warcraft, Starcraft ).
Activision and Vivendi Games, announced on December 2, 2007, to merge the new company Activision Blizzard and thus to overtake Electronic Arts as the largest sales of game software.
Canal Group
The Canal Group is one of Europe's largest pay-TV provider with (2003) 230 TV channels and teleservices. With approximately five million subscribers in France Canal is the market leader.
The Group includes the company StudioCanal, with a focus on film distribution, film production and film rights. StudioCanal has the world's third-largest film library. Beginning of 2008, Studio Canal, the German cinema world group.
SFR
SFR (originally Société Française de radiotéléphonie ) is the second largest mobile operator in France, to which Vivendi holds a 56%; the other 44 % is still held by Vodafone. On April 4, 2011, it was announced that Vivendi will buy the share at Vodafone SFR for 7.75 billion euros.
SFR has approximately 17.2 million customers ( 2005) and a market share of 35.8 %. The SFR held by 2009 a share of 40.7 % of Neuf Cegetel, the second largest fixed-line provider in France. In the course of 2009, SFR took over successive further 59.3 % and eventually became the sole owner.
Maroc Telecom
Maroc Telecom, the former state telephone company with 5.2 million customers and Morocco (2003), the leading Moroccan provider of landline, mobile phone and Internet. Vivendi is involved in the company with 51%. Since December 2007, the participation Vivendi is at Maroc Telecom 53%.
Watch Ever
Watch Ever is the flat-rate video-on -demand service ( online video portal ), with the Vivendi since 2013 in the German-speaking countries with large advertising expenditure against max cathedrals ( ProSiebenSat.1 Media ) and Lovefilm (Amazon) to regain market share. As specific advantages over the competition, Offline mode for mobile use without Internet connection and especially the provision of content on all relevant devices are (especially Apple), called in HD and optionally in the original method, but is waived latest blockbusters.
Stake in NBC Universal
Vivendi was involved with 20% of the U.S. media conglomerate NBC Universal to early December 2009. The remaining 80 % held the conglomerate General Electric. As known, the cable operator Comcast announced in late November to take over 51% of NBC Universal, GE bought out the 20 % shares of Vivendi and thus became the sole owner of NBC Universal shortly. On 9 December 2009 Comcast takes over eventually for $ 6.5 billion accounted for 51% of NBC Universal, while the remaining 49 % will remain with General Electric. In February 2013, General Electric sold its remaining 49 percent stake in Comcast.
Reception
- Vivendi Universal. The fact that we own the whole world. Documentation, France / Canada, 2006, 84 min, a film by Don Young and Alan trade, production: arte, Original Air Date: July 2, 2007