2024-07-09 10:25:03
The economic channel B Smart will continue its adventures in other skies. The media and professional events group Ficade announces the acquisition of this television channel founded in 2020 by former BFM Business executives, Stéphane Soumier, Valérie Bruschini and Pierre Fraidenraich, and put up for sale by the CMI France group of Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who held 51% of the capital. Contacted, CMI France does not confirm the transaction at this stage.
Created and managed by entrepreneur Gaël Chervet, Ficade, which is making its tenth acquisition here, indicates that it will take over 100% of B Smart’s capital. According to Ficade, the operation would be financed entirely from its own funds, by this group which includes 24 media in the fields of law, finance, heritage, real estate, HR and innovation (“Décideurs Magazine”, “Le Monde du Droit”, “L’Informaticien”), among others.
Ficade, which organizes around 80 professional events per year, had already taken over the web TV Décideurs TV in 2020 and the rating agency Leaders League in 2022. Including B Smart, Ficade, which has double-digit profitability according to its founder, should achieve an annual turnover of around 25 million euros, for 250 employees (including the 20 employees of B Smart). The presenter Stéphane Soumier, the figurehead of the channel, should remain on air, according to Ficade.
Target of economic decision-makers
According to the specialist media “La Lettre”, B Smart has so far posted losses, which would have reached one million euros in 2023 for a turnover of around 3 million euros. Figures not confirmed by Ficade, which also does not communicate the amount of the acquisition.
In a group dedicated to the professional target, B Smart might find material to shine. In any case, this is the hope of its purchaser, who intends to broadcast B Smart content on its various professional media, their newsletters and social networks, and to mobilize the channel for the coverage of its trade fairs.
Ficade had been preparing a television channel project for several months, having even obtained approval from Arcom at the beginning of the year and named 4Change. “In the media, audiovisual has become essential, it is a very important channel for our customers” underlines the founder of Ficade, Gaël Chervet.
Distribution on boxes
This acquisition allows the group to accelerate, by taking direct control of a channel aimed at professionals, distributed by Orange, Free and Bouygues Telecom, which already has an audience and a reputation in the world of decision-makers, which constitutes its core target.
The goal is now to bring regarding the 4Change project on the foundations of B Smart, which must be transformed into “B Smart 4Change”. In terms of editorial line, “the idea is to give a voice to business leaders and entrepreneurs, experts and intellectuals, innovators, all the decision-makers who are changing our world” summarizes Gaël Chervet, who is convinced that “the major transformations will come from companies”. A reflection on the back-to-school schedule will be initiated in consultation with the teams this week, under the leadership of Mathieu Meffre, the CEO of Leaders League in the Ficade group.
With this new audiovisual anchoring, Ficade is able to complete its offer dedicated to professionals to “make them shine in their ecosystem” according to Gaël Chervet. This offer includes both speaking engagements at its events, advertising (web and now TV) and subscriptions. Ficade indicates that it is in discussions with SFR to complete the distribution on BSmart 4Change boxes.
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