The French media group had until midnight on Saturday to sell its 29% stake back to Mediaset, following the approval of a corporate overhaul that will see Italy's top commercial broadcaster merge it domestic and Spanish businesses under a Dutch holding company.

Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday Vivendi had decided to fight the corporate revamp in court, broadening its legal spat with Mediaset beyond Italy, rather than head for the door.

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing by Valentina Za)

Stocks treated in this article : Vivendi, Mediaset