SG and BNP Paribas have provided fairness opinions to Vivendi on the sale of its US entertainment business, giving BNP Paribas a second chance on the deal after previously advising one of the bidders.

Vivendi, the French utility and media conglomerate, has agreed to merge its Vivendi Universal Entertainment (VUE) business in the US with NBC, the media business of US group General Electric (GE), creating a company worth an estimated $43bn (€36bn).