Paris-based media conglomerate Vivendi is reportedly considering splitting off several business units, including global advertising agency Havas and broadcaster Canal+ Group.
Approval to separately list each company on the stock exchange was given by the firm’s supervisory board, which would leave Vivendi with an existing portfolio including Studiocanal, TV production outfit Banijay, mobile gaming brand Gameloft and magazine publisher Prisma Media.
In a statement, Vivendi said that the decision comes at a time when each unit is “experiencing strong growth in an international context marked by numerous investment opportunities.”
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One of the world’s major agency holding groups, Havas currently has a staggering 23,000 global staff spread out across over 100 countries – but despite positive Q3 growth has faced significant backlash for its dealings with oil and gas giant Shell.
A range of creative and media agencies that are currently held under the Havas banner would be affected by this change, including Havas Creative and Arnold and Battery, as well as the Havas PR Collective which groups together Abernathy MacGregor, Havas Formula and República Havas.
Vivendi’s statement added that Havas has: “maintained a steady pace of targeted acquisitions over the past two years, thereby strengthening its range of expertise and geographic footprint, [which]…paves the way for an accelerated development and the continuation of its successful transformation.”
