All the movements generated or conditioned to the idyll between TF1 and M6 fall into the water.
Like a thunderclap in the French audiovisual landscape, TF1 and M6 announced on Friday evening abandon their merger project in the face of the important requirements of the French Competition Authority. Therefore, the M6 group is still for sale. Before the attempted takeover of Bouygues, the file had been looked at in particular by Vivendi (Canal +), Xavier Niel, Daniel Kretinsky, or even Mediaset, Altice and NRJ. Some of them might therefore try their luck once more.
Another side effect of this abandonment, Altice will not recover the TFX and 6ter chains. Authorized last July by the Competition Authority, the takeover was conditional on the success of the marriage between TF1 and M6. In addition, Paris Première will continue the adventure on DTT, its frequency will not be returned. Finally, France Télévisions will remain a shareholder in Salto. Last March, the public audiovisual group expressed its desire to sell its stake in the French platform in the event of a successful merger.
This article was taken from the Univers FreeBox website