MILAN, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The board of Italian broadcaster Mediaset will meet on Friday to discuss a possible deal with the group’s second biggest shareholder, France’s Vivendi , two sources close to the matter said on Thursday.
A deal would end a three-year long legal stand-off and allow Mediaset to press ahead with plans to create a pan-European TV champion through the merger of its Italian and Spanish units into a Dutch holding company called MediaForEurope (MFE).
Earlier, sources said the two sides were close to reaching an agreement that would see the French group sell a 20% stake in the Italian company to the MFE holding.
Vivendi, led by billionaire Vincent Bollore, holds an overall stake of 29% in Mediaset, which is controlled by the family of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing by Silvia Aloisi
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.