The companies had been in exclusive discussions since last September over the deal.
Mecom said that it has also entered into exclusive discussions with one buyer to offload its Polish operation.
But negotiations over the weekend helped to narrow the gap, and early this week Vivendi entered into exclusive discussions with the Blackstone-led group.
HSBC said it had begun exclusive discussions with the bidder, which is the central body of Groupe Banque Populaire, a mutual banking group.
REUTERS Guggenheim Partnersrs in Talks for Deutsche Bank Asset Management Units | Deutsche Banknk announced on Tuesday that it was in exclusive discussions to sell parts of its asset management business to Guggenheim Partners.
But he said it was 'no secret' that the firm had been talking to a number of parties.' He added: 'We are now in exclusive discussions with one party.' Bain Capital declined to comment.
"Following speculation in the press, Babcock... confirms that it is in exclusive discussions regarding the establishment of a joint venture with respect to Avincis," the firm said in a statement on Sunday.
In a statement to the stock exchange, the company said it was in exclusive discussions with Stanley, and was carrying out due diligence on the business, which generated turnover of £1.5bn in the year to May 2004.
REUTERS Standard Lifefe Said to Be in Talks to Buy Unit of Newton Investment Management | Standard Lifefe of Britain is in "exclusive discussions" to buy the wealth management division of Newton Investment Management for up to roughly $140 million, according to The Telegraph.
REUTERS Kennedy Wilson Said in Talks for Bank of Ireland Loans | Banknk of Ireland is reportedly in exclusive discussions to sell a 1.5 billion euro ($2.07 billion) portfolio of British loan assets to the American real estate firm Kennedy Wilson, which already owns a stake in the Irish lender.
