Friday, April 17, 2015

Bollore and the great French media group

A few weeks ago, Vincent Bollore, chairman and main shareholder of Vivendi said that he wanted to build up a huge media group, the size of Bertelsman. Up to now his policy has not been very convincing. He has sold several important branches of Vivendi, including the telecom operator SFR and has pulled out of the biggest Polish TV channel. As far as digital activities are concerned, Vivendi has been lagging far behind Springer or Schibsted which are now the most notorious media operators on the Web in Europe.

What is striking is that France, which has a brilliant past in, owner of  media history, has not been able, these last 20 years to build up a credible strategy. Lagardere group, once a major world player has sold most of its magazines and has never been able to make it in digital and audiovisual activities. The newspapers Figaro, Monde, Ouest France are moving slowly, probably too slowly towards a digital future and the most promising start up are bought by American of German investors such as Springer owner of Aufeminin, Seloger and Carboat, three promising French ventures.

Still, Vivendi remains France's last hope to be a global player in the media world. The Guardian said recently that Bollore could buy the share of Murdoch in Sky, the giant British pay TV operator. If it worked it would be a late but stunning success.