Sale of BFMTV and RMC to CMA CGM: green light from Arcom and the Competition Authority

The audiovisual regulator, Arcom, and the Competition Authority have given the green light to the acquisition by the shipowner CMA CGM of the media branch of the Altice group, which includes BFMTV and RMC, they indicated on Friday in two separate press releases.

The Competition Authority has, however, made its authorisation conditional on CMA CGM complying with certain commitments concerning the advertising market in the south of France. In this region, the Marseilles-based shipping company, headed by billionaire Rodolphe Saadé, already owns the daily newspaper La Provence.

In particular, CMA CGM has undertaken not to practice any form of group sales offer (coupling) of advertising space for La Provence and the local BFM Paca channels.

“Taking into account the commitments made by CMA CGM, the (Competition) Authority authorized the operation following the phase 1 examination,” she said in a press release.

For its part, Arcom has also decided to “issue approval” for the acquisition of Altice Media by CMA CGM, “in view of the commitments made by the purchaser”.

These commitments relate in particular to the “ethical obligations” of audiovisual media which offer information programmes, “to pluralism, honesty and independence of information and programmes”, the regulator indicated in a press release.

CMA CGM announced on March 15 that it had signed an agreement to buy Altice Media from businessman Patrick Drahi for 1.55 billion euros. The shipowner then indicated that the transaction would be finalized “during the summer.”

This announcement took everyone by surprise, as Altice had repeatedly denied rumors of the sale of its media branch, which had been recurring in previous months.

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