Vivendi

Vivendi SE (stylized in all lowercase) is a French investment company headquartered in Paris. It wholly owns Gameloft as well as investments in companies, primarily involved in content, entertainment, media, and telecommunications. In 2000, Vivendi Universal was created from the merger of Groupe Canal+ and Seagram Company Ltd., owner of Universal Studios and Universal Music Group. Vivendi sold 80% of Vivendi Universal Entertainment (including Universal Studios) to the later-defunct General Electric (GE, owner of NBC) in 2004, forming what is NBCUniversal. In 2006, its name was reverted to Vivendi. GE bought out Vivendi's 20% stake in NBCUniversal during Comcast's acquisition of the latter. From 2021, Vivendi has spun off its fully owned assets in order to become an investment company. The process started with the floating of 60% of Universal Music Group, the world's largest music business and owned since the creation of Vivendi Universal. In 2024, this process concluded with the spin-off of three of its other fully owned assets into three companies: Canal+ (entertainment), Havas (advertising), and Louis Hachette Group (publishing, distribution, and travel retail). Other investments include stakes in Banijay Group and MediaForEurope.