Vivendi Universal said on Friday (Dec 7) that it was in advanced talks with News Corp concerning its Italian pay-TV platforms, Telepiu and Stream.

In a statement Vivendi Universal said the discussions "would result in the acquisition of Stream by Telpiu" and would replace the current offer, which is being contested by Italian regulators and film directors. As the current proposal, unveiled in July (see Screendaily, July 6) also foresaw a takeover of Stream that would have given Telepiu 75% of the combined business, it would appear that the difference is in the details.

Both pay-TV platforms are currently losing money and combining forces is seen as a means of moving them into the black. Earlier this year the two rivals agreed to share a common decoder system.