M6 for sale after failed merger
September 22, 2022
By Colin Mann
German media group Bertelsmann has put French commercial broadcaster M6 up for sale following the failed merger attempt with fellow French broadcast group TF1, according to the FT, with Thomas Rabe, Bertelsmann’s chief executive, revealing that the company had been “inundated with expressions of interest”.
Bertelsmann has asked for indicative bids by September 23rd.
According to France’s Autorité de la concurrence (Competition Authority) the market power of the TF1 and M6 groups combined, which are currently the two closest competitors on the television advertising market, gave rise to a strong risk of a rise in the price of advertising space sold by parties to the detriment of advertisers and consumers.
Bertelsmann’s RTL group owns a 48.3 per cent stake in M6.