Under the deal, Vivendi had agreed to acquire a small stake in Mediaset and buy the Italian company's pay-TV business, while Mediaset would buy a small stake in Vivendi. Later that year, Vivendi backed out of the deal in a row over the performance of Mediaset's pay-TV unit. In December of that year Vivendi--after disclosing a 3% stake in Mediaset--began building up its holding in the Italian company, which now stands at 28.8%. In the past few months, press speculation over a possible agreement between the two has mounted.