2023-05-26 08:08:11
“The media interest me”, confided the CEO of CMA CGM Rodolphe Saadé to “Echos” a few months ago. This interest is confirmed. After the takeover of the regional daily “La Provence” in the summer of 2022, then investments in the fall in M6, in which CMA CGM holds just over 10% of the capital, and recently in “Brut”, the controlled shipowner by the Saadé family has signed a promise to purchase 100% of the economic newspaper “La Tribune”, he announced this morning, confirming information from “Europe 1” yesterday.
Since its takeover in 2012 at the helm of the commercial court by the regional press group France Economie Régions, itself owned by the Hima group chaired by Jean-Christophe Tortora, “La Tribune” has relied on digital and enhanced coverage territories to differentiate itself from its national competitors, in particular the “Echos”.
The newspaper publishes both a digital version, with 12 regional editions, and a bimonthly magazine, “T”. With 4.7 million visits in April, “latribune.fr” is ranked 77th in the ACPM ranking, at a level comparable to that of “JDD.fr”, “La-Croix.com” or regional sites such as “L’Union” or “DNA”.
in the green
According to a recent interview given to Le Figaro by the president of “La Tribune” Jean-Christophe Tortora, with nearly 20,000 digital subscribers, the media, which has 90 employees including around forty journalists in Paris and in the regions, would have generated a figure of business of 13 million euros in 2022 and a positive Ebitda of around 400,000 euros. The organization of events would provide half of the income.
With this new shareholder, “La Tribune” might aim higher. The title has just recruited in early May a great feather from “Paris Match”, the political columnist Bruno Jeudy, who interviews a major political or economic personality every Thursday.
By buying “La Tribune”, CMA CGM would get its hands on a title rooted in the region, like “La Provence”, but complementary to the Marseille daily. “This operation might generate significant synergies,” considers investment banker and media specialist Jean-Clément Texier, for whom “it would allow “La Provence” to outsource a certain number of high-end national content, particularly economic , rather than reinforcing the troops internally. »
“La Tribune is complementary with La Provence and Corse Matin, acquired by CMA CGM in 2022, in particular for its expertise in digital transformation and its unique positioning in editorial events, says CMA CGM in its press release. This acquisition would also strengthen the presence of La Tribune in the Marseille region and accelerate its development in the territories, while respecting its editorial independence while ensuring a sustainable economic model.
Acquisitions
CMA-CGM recruited in early March the former director of information for France Télévisions Laurent Guimier to lead its media division which is growing little by little. How far ? Thanks to the record profits made in recent years, CMA-CGM is increasing its acquisitions. The shipowner headed by Rodolphe Saadé has just acquired the logistics branch of the Bolloré group for 5 billion euros.
In the media, according to Jean-Clément Texier, “rather than building a chain of national dailies, CMA-CGM’s concern is rather to know how M6, in which the group is already a significant shareholder, will evolve. The main shareholder of the sixth channel, the German Bertelsmann, is however forced by law to keep its stake in M6 for 5 years following the frequency renewal, which has just taken place.
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