Updated on Thursday at 11 a.m.:
Jeff Zucker, CEO of NBC Universal, told employees in an email Thursday morning that "a number of possible things could happen" if part owner Vivendi sells its 20 percent stake in the company.
He did not comment on TheWrap's exclusive report Wednesday that NBC Universal is in talks with Comcast for a potential sale. He wrote:
"Given the attractive nature of our assets, there is always significant interest in NBC Universal," he wrote in the email. "That has been amplified lately by the annual discussion with Vivendi about its 20 percent ownership of our company. Vivendi has been a superb owner of NBC Universal, along with GE, for more than five years. They have not yet made us aware of any final decisions about their future with us; should they choose to exit, there are a number of possible things that could happen."
Meanwhile, CNBC reported Thursday that the negotiations between Comcast and the entertainment company involved spinning off the unit into a new company, with Comcast taking 51 percent economic control of the company.
More to come on this story as developments arise....
Updated on Wednesday at 5:20 p.m.:
Comcast, the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, is in talks to buy the entertainment giant NBC Universal from General Electric, according to knowledgeable individuals.
Deal points were hammered out at a meeting among bankers for both sides in New York on Tuesday, executives familiar with the meeting said.
Two individuals informed about the meeting said that a deal had already been completed at a purchase price of $35 billion. But other executives said a deal was not complete, and Comcast denied there was a deal in place:
“While we do not normally comment on M&A rumors, the report that Comcast has a deal to purchase NBC Universal is inaccurate.”
A spokeswoman for NBC Universal had no comment. 
NBC Universal has been believed to be in play for months, although GE has publicly denied any intention of selling the unit. In recent weeks, minority stakeholder Vivendi has been apparently preparing to exercise its right to sell 20 percent of the entertainment company in an IPO.
Comcast has been among those rumored to be interested in buying that equity.
But the Tuesday meeting was about a much larger gambit, according to the knowledgeable individuals. The NBC Universal division of GE, a premium content company, is a likely fit for the cable giant with its massive distribution pipeline. That is especially the case when the division's potential price tag has dropped significantly from a year ago.
Comcast’s market cap is $48.44 billion. NBC Universal has fallen in value to an estimated $35 billion, from about $55 billion a year ago.
Other suitors have been rumored to be interested in NBC Universal, including Time Warner. Time Warner has denied any interest in a purchase.
The talks come after a rough summer for Universal Pictures, which had one of the worst box office runs in the studio’s recent past.
