CANAL + (French group VIVENDI UNIVERSAL), RTL GROUP (German group BERTELSMANN) and DARMON (in which RTL GROUP holds 28% of the capital) have signed an agreement in view of merging their subsidiaries specialised in the field of sports rights. The new group stemming from the merger will employ around 350 people for a turnover of EUR 570 million. Following the merger, by the end of 2001, RTL GROUP and CANAL+ will hold between 39.5% and 46.6% of the new group against 5% for DARMON.