France's SFR acquisition talks extended to June 5 2026

Negotiations over the sale of SFR have been extended until June 5, 2026. The exclusive talks involve Bouygues Telecom, Iliad (Free) and Orange, who together offered about €20.35 billion for the Altice France asset.

The proposed split of SFR’s assets would allocate 42% to Bouygues, 31% to Iliad and 27% to Orange, potentially reshaping the French telecom market from four major operators to three. The parties describe the process as "complex" and "very long," citing the need to resolve numerous technical and regulatory details. Any agreement would still require approval from competition authorities.

Labor unions within SFR have warned of possible job losses, accusing the deal of a "meticulously organised dismantling" of the retailer network. The deadline extension follows earlier speculation that the original timeline could not be met, and the outcome remains uncertain.