The TF1 and M6 groups announced Monday to have consented an exclusivity to Patrick Drahi’s group for the redemption of channels they have to separate as part of their merger.
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And the altice group won the bet. Committed to their merger project, TF1 and M6 channels announced, Monday, February 28 at the beginning of the evening, that they had entered into exclusive negotiations with the Patrick Drahi group for the sale of their TFX and 6er chains. As expected, M6 also chose to restore the digital terrestrial television frequency (TNT) of its Paying Paris Première. However, it will continue to “operate it on cable and satellite networks”, specifies the group led by Nicolas de Tavernost in a statement.
Forced to separate at least three channels to own it only seven as required by the regulation, the two groups had a few weeks to designate the potential buyers.
But why wait, when the choice of Altice allows, in addition to complying with the texts, to mitigate some reproaches? “This operation contributes to the competitive dynamics of the French audiovisual landscape by strengthening an established actor,” says the TF1 group.
While criticisms continue to rise, in recent weeks, on the threat of ultra-concentration that makes the merger of the first two French private chains on the audiovisual sector, this argument of preserving the plurality of the landscape. Even relative, may be likely to weigh in the debates yet to come to the Authority of Competition and the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (ARCOM, Ex-World Audiovisual Council). These are these two bodies which, after assessing the impact of the merger – in the publicity market in particular – and its compliance with the legislation – the necessary preservation of the plurality of information – must give their consent of ‘here six to eight months.
Altice France could change dimension
While waiting for this green light, the groups TF1 and M6 will therefore continue to fully control TFX and 6ter until the beginning of 2023. Then, “we would become the second private media group in France,” said Arthur Dreyfuss, The Director General of Altice France, in an internal statement broadcast on Monday night that we got ourselves.
Not only does the group already hold RMC radio, the BFMTV channels, RMC Sport, RMC Story and RMC discovery, would change dimension, but it would be a block on the TNT: while TFX occupies the channel 11 and BFMTV the 15, 6ter on the channel 22 would be just before RMC Story (23) and RMC discovery (24).
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