Vivendi Universal and Viacom have completed the sale of UCICinemas' European operations to UK private equity group Terra Firma for Euros270m ($343.5m).

The deal is part of Vivendi Universal's efforts to narrowits focus on media and telecoms and sell non-core assets to reduce its debt.

Viacom and Vivendi each owned 50 percent of UCI which hasoperations in Britain, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Terra Firma announced in September that it was buying thetheatre chain, but the value of the deal wasn't disclosed at the time.

Vivendi said UCI group's 50 percent stake in UCI Japan hadbeen sold separately for an extra Euros 45.6m to Sumitomo Corporation.