What Vivendi does

Vivendi SE is a publicly listed French holding company (Euronext Paris: VIV) headquartered in Paris, operating a focused portfolio of strategic stakes across the content, media, and entertainment value chain. Following its December 2024 spin-off, which separated Canal+ and telecom assets (including the full exit from Telecom Italia via successive sales to Poste Italiane in March and December 2025), Vivendi restructured into a leaner entity with €558M share capital and a NAV of €4.829 billion at end-2024. The group owns 100% of Gameloft (video game publishing across mobile, PC, and console), 100% of the newly created V Collection luxury media subsidiary (Harper's Bazaar France, Côté Maison, IDEAT, MilK, The Good Life), and holds significant minority equity positions in Universal Music Group (~10%), Banijay (~19%), Lagardère (~13%), MediaForEurope (~16%), and Prisa (~11%).

The company's business model is fundamentally that of a capital allocator and strategic investor rather than an operating product company. Revenue at the holding-company level is generated through dividends, intra-group services, and investment returns — FY2025 revenue of €307M (+4.3% YoY at constant rates) and net income of €20M reflect the slim parent layer rather than the consolidated scale of the portfolio, which is much larger when measured at NAV. Value creation for shareholders is intended to flow from portfolio appreciation, dividend streams, and the gradual narrowing of a historically significant conglomerate discount, with Yannick Bolloré as Chairman and Arnaud de Puyfontaine as CEO. The company is controlled by Vincent Bolloré through Bolloré Group (~32%), an ownership structure that has been the subject of repeated French legal disputes around de facto control and minority-shareholder buyout obligations, most recently revisited by France's Cour de Cassation in November 2025.

Distribution of value and reach is inherently global through the portfolio: UMG (music), Banijay (audiovisual production, online sports betting), Lagardère (publishing, travel retail), MediaForEurope (European broadcasting), Prisa (Spanish-language media and education), and Gameloft (gaming) collectively serve consumers and advertisers across Europe, the Americas, and — increasingly — Africa via the September 2025 $3B MultiChoice acquisition finalized through Canal+. Recent strategic emphasis has shifted to vertical deepening (cinema via UGC, luxury media via V Collection) and to high-profile optionality events such as the April 2026 Pershing Square $64B proposal to take Universal Music Group private, which would crystallize material value for Vivendi's stake but faces a contested shareholder approval path.

Name

Vivendi

Legal name

Vivendi SE (société européenne)

Website

https://vivendi.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Vivendi SE is a Paris-listed holding company managing strategic stakes across music, gaming, publishing, television, and luxury media, including full ownership of Gameloft and V Collection and minority positions in Universal Music Group, Banijay, Lagardère, MediaForEurope, and Prisa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media & Entertainment Investment Holding

NAICS

Miscellaneous Financial Investment Activities (523999), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds (FSANAGAC)

Keywords

• Media entertainment holding
• Content portfolio management
• Strategic media investments
• Video game publishing
• Luxury media publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment returns and portfolio dividends: Vivendi generates revenue through dividends, capital gains, and value appreciation from its portfolio of investments in media, entertainment, and content companies. Post-December 2024 spin-off, Vivendi operates as a focused content/media holding company.
2. Gameloft (video game publishing): Gameloft, 100% owned subsidiary, generates revenue from video game publishing across mobile, PC, and console platforms. Reported strong performance with revenue growth and significant EBITA improvement.
3. Havas (advertising): Havas, the global advertising and communications agency, generates revenue through creative services, media planning, and marketing solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vivendi is a French media and entertainment holding company that owns and manages a strategic portfolio of content, media, and entertainment assets. Following its December 2024 spin-off, the company holds 100% of Gameloft (video game publishing) and V Collection (luxury media), while maintaining significant minority stakes in Universal Music Group (9.91%), Banijay (19.17%), Lagardère (13.38%), MediaForEurope (15.92%), and Prisa (11.19%). Vivendi primarily generates value through dividends, capital appreciation, and strategic portfolio management of these assets.

Product overview

Vivendi is a French media and entertainment group headquartered in Paris, operating as a holding company with strategic stakes in multiple content, media, and entertainment companies. Following its December 2024 spin-off, the company restructured into a focused portfolio of investments: it holds 100% of Gameloft (video games), has created V Collection (luxury media and cultural content), and maintains significant minority stakes in Universal Music Group (music), Banijay (audiovisual/sports betting), Lagardère (publishing/travel retail), MediaForEurope (European television), and Prisa (Spanish-language media/education). The company also divested its telecom assets including TIM (Telecom Italia), selling most of its stake to Bpifrance and transferring control to Poste Italiane.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gameloft: World-renowned video game publisher
• V Collection
• Universal Music Group
• Banijay
• Lagardère
• Prisma Group
• MediaForEurope
• Prisa

Products and services

• Gameloft World-renowned video game publisher developing and publishing mobile, PC, and console games. 100% owned subsidiary of Vivendi.
• V Collection Reference for luxury media and cultural content in France and internationally. Includes publications such as Harper's Bazaar, Côté Maison, IDEAT, MilK and The Good Life.
• Universal Music Group Global music leader controlling approximately 33% of the recorded-music market. Vivendi holds 9.91% stake post spin-off.
• Banijay Major player in audiovisual production and online sports betting. Vivendi holds 19.17% stake.
• Lagardère International group and one of the world leaders in publishing and travel retail. Vivendi holds 13.38% stake.
• MediaForEurope European leader in television, audiovisual production, and digital. Vivendi holds 15.92% stake.
• Prisa Leader in Spanish-language media and education. Vivendi holds 11.19% stake.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.3% revenue growth in FY 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered notable, major and core.

• Spanish Government/MoncloanotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 March 2026Vivendi has offered the Spanish government a comprehensive pact to ensure media stability in Spain and facilitate its expansion. The company, as second-largest shareholder in Prisa, has committed not to politicize its investments and preserve editorial lines of acquired media outlets.
• Poste ItalianenotableOthers · 12 December 2025Vivendi sold its remaining TIM (Telecom Italia) shares to Poste Italiane, reducing its stake from 19.32% to approximately 2.5%. Poste Italiane became the largest TIM shareholder at 27.32%.
• UGC (Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Canal+ (controlled by Vivendi via Bolloré) acquired 34% stake in UGC cinema chain with an option to acquire 100% by 2028. This acquisition has drawn criticism from film professionals concerned about media concentration.
• MultiChoice GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Canal+ (controlled via Vivendi) completed its $3 billion acquisition of South African broadcaster MultiChoice Group, creating one of Africa's largest pay-television operators. This finalized in September 2025.
• GameloftcoreOthersGameloft is a 100% owned subsidiary of Vivendi, operating as a world-renowned video game publisher. Gameloft generates significant revenue for the group with strong performance in Q1 2026 and PC/console revenue growth of 16.5%.
• Universal Music GroupmajorOthersVivendi holds 9.91% stake in Universal Music Group, the global leader in music recording, publishing, and distribution. UMG's board has described Bill Ackman's $64 billion Pershing Square proposal as 'unsolicited and non-binding'.
• BanijaymajorOthersVivendi holds 19.17% stake in Banijay, a major player in audiovisual production and online sports betting.
• LagardèremajorOthersVivendi holds 13.38% stake in Lagardère, an international group ranking among world leaders in publishing and travel retail. Vivendi faces European Commission scrutiny regarding its acquisition of Lagardère control.
• MediaForEuropenotableOthersVivendi holds 15.92% stake in MediaForEurope (MFE), the European leader in television, audiovisual production, and digital content.
• PrisanotableOthersVivendi holds 11.19% stake in Prisa, the leader in media and education in the Spanish-speaking world. Vivendi has offered the Spanish government a comprehensive pact to ensure stability in Spain's media sector.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL): Belgian-listed holding company with diversified long-term stakes in listed and private companies across media, consumer, and industrials. Comparable to Vivendi as a European publicly-traded investment holding with significant media exposure.
• Comcast Corporation: US media and connectivity conglomerate operating NBCUniversal, Sky, and Peacock. Comparable to Vivendi as a publicly-traded diversified media holding with content production and distribution assets.
• The Walt Disney Company: Global entertainment conglomerate spanning film studios, television networks, streaming (Disney+), theme parks, and consumer products. Comparable to Vivendi as a publicly-traded global media and entertainment holding.
• Bolloré Group: Parent conglomerate and controlling shareholder of Vivendi (with ~32% stake). Both operate as diversified French holding companies with media, communications (Havas), and logistics interests, making the ownership/control relationship tightly comparable as a holding-company peer.
• Naspers / Prosus: South African-founded, Amsterdam-listed global internet and media holding company. Comparable to Vivendi as a publicly-traded holding whose NAV is driven by a portfolio of strategic stakes in global media and consumer internet assets.
• Sony Group Corporation: Japanese entertainment and technology conglomerate with material operations in recorded music (Sony Music), video games (PlayStation/SIE), film (Sony Pictures), and television. Highly comparable to Vivendi's UMG-music-plus-Gameloft-gaming-plus-content structure.
• Warner Bros. Discovery: US-based global media and entertainment conglomerate spanning filmed entertainment, television networks, and streaming (Max). Comparable to Vivendi as a publicly-traded media conglomerate with exposure to similar end-markets.
• Bertelsmann: Private German media, services, and education conglomerate controlling RTL Group, Penguin Random House, BMG, and Arvato. Highly comparable to Vivendi as a diversified European media holding with stakes across recorded music, publishing, and broadcasting.
• Liberty Media Corporation: US holding company tracking SiriusXM, Formula 1, and other media/sports interests. Directly comparable to Vivendi as a publicly-traded holding company whose value derives primarily from strategic stakes in operating media assets.
• Paramount Global: US media conglomerate operating CBS, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, and Paramount+. Comparable to Vivendi as a publicly-traded media holding company with overlapping film, television, and streaming exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vivendi
• YouTubedailymotion.com/vivendi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vivendi
• Instagraminstagram.com/vivendi_officiel

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vivendi