MILAN - Mediaset's shareholders on Wednesday backed a plan to make the Netherlands the legal base of Italy's top commercial broadcaster, potentially paving the way for cross-border deals needed to fight competition from online rivals.

Mediaset's investors equal to 95.6% of the capital represented at the shareholders meeting backed the redomiciliation plan, the company said in a statement.

The Dutch base move was part of a deal between Mediaset and its second-largest investor Vivendi to end a five-year long legal battle paralysing Mediaset's strategy.

  - Reuters