Vivendi continues to mull a sale of SFR to Numericable, the French cable television operator owned by Altice, despite ongoing IPO plans for the country’s second-largest mobile operator, according to Bloomberg.

This is not the first time that a link-up between SFR and Numericable has been discussed but it is significant because it shows Vivendi remains open to other options in addition to a public offering.

A trade sale promises a quicker return than an IPO for which Vivendi plans to file details with regulators by March and then ask for shareholder approval in June.

However, despite its consideration for a Numericable deal, Vivendi still favours an IPO as the likeliest prospect.

Altice is one of the largest cable television operators in Europe and Numericable is its leading asset.

Numericable’s other owners are private equity firms Cinven and Carlyle.

SFR has fixed broadband assets which could be added to Numericable’s cable business, in addition to its mobile subscribers.

Despite its cable-centric strategy, a bid for SFR is consistent with Altice’s strategy. It acquired Orange’s mobile business in the Dominican Republic for $1.4 billion at the end of 2013.

Altice is currently planning an IPO of its own in Amsterdam, from which it wants to raise $1 billion.