French pay-TV losses hurt Vivendi's Q2 operating profit

(Telecompaper) Vivendi reported results for the second quarter below analysts' expectations, posting a year-on-year drop in EBITA of 41.5 percent to EUR 174 million. This negative performance was mainly driven by the ongoing losses of its pay-TV unit Canal Plus in France, which the company intends to redress with a EUR 300 million cost reduction plan, aimed to reach breakeven in France in 2018. Vivendi's Q2 adjusted net income dropped 3.1 percent to EUR 187 million on a comparable basis, while r