A potential revival of the merger between French broadcasters TF1 and M6 is on the horizon, following a suggested softening of the European Commission's approach to corporate consolidation. Bertelsmann chief executive Thomas Rabe, in an interview with the Financial Times, voiced his hope to reconsider the plans to combine Bertelsmann-owned M6 and its larger competitor, TF1.
“It would create a true French TV and streaming champion, able to compete with the US platforms,” he stated. Bouygues, in a separate statement, echoed Rabe's view, asserting that the merger held "merit", contingent on favorable timing and regulatory conditions.
Rabe indicated that his optimism stems from what he perceives as a change in Brussels' stance after years of what he described as “excessively stringent” competition rules. “We’ve been the victims of these rules more than once . . . we have tried to create European champions in media and we were blocked by the regulators — I believe for no good reason,” he explained. “Now the European Commission talks about the necessity to reform and promote European champions. Fantastic. Let’s do it.”
In 2022, Bertelsmann and Bouygues argued for a broader regulatory definition of the TV and advertising markets to secure approval for the merger. While the French competition authority acknowledged the challenge posed by international streaming services, it maintained that television remains a powerful medium. The merger plans ultimately fell through, leading to M6 being put up for sale, before Bertlesman’s RTL Group decided to retain its controlling stake in Groupe M6.