Vivendi considering 'variety of options' for Activision Blizzard sale

Vivendi continues to explore options to sell a portion of its stake in Activision Blizzard, the French media conglomerate said this week during an earnings call.

Chief financial officer Philippe Capron said (via the Wall Street Journal) that the company is considering a "variety of options" to unload the Call of Duty and World of Warcraft company.

"There is a process going at the board level," he added.

According to sources speaking with the newspaper, Activision Blizzard management has for a while now been interested in buying out some of Vivendi's 60 percent stake. The company could be in the position to do so, thanks to the $4.3 billion it has in cash on hand.

Vivendi first expressed interest in unloading Activision Blizzard in June 2012. The company currently holds a 61 percent stake in the game publisher, valued at $8.1 billion.

A number of potential buyers emerged last year, including Microsoft, Time Warner, Tencent, Disney, and a group of private equity firms. However, no deal was ever solidified, as Vivendi continues to have a tough time finding anyone to take the publisher off its books.