Louise Bernard with Alexis Patri 10:30 am, December 02, 2021

The TV groups TF1 and M6 must sell three of the ten channels they both own to be able to carry out their merger project.

French law requires a TV group to have a maximum of seven channels.

And these probable sales arouse the interest of many actors, according to information from the newspaper "Les Echos".

This is an important step in the plan to merge the TV groups TF1 and M6 which should not pose too many problems.

To become one, the two groups must own a maximum of seven channels, as stipulated by French law.

Holding ten channels together, TF1 and M6 must therefore sell at least three.

And potential buyers are jostling at the gate, according to information from our colleagues in the newspaper

Les Échos

.

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According to the daily, candidates had until the end of last week to submit an offer.

And they would be a total of ten to have declared their interest.

Several offers would relate to Gulli, the youth channel of the M6 ​​group.

Les Échos

cites the candidacy of the Unique Heritage Media group, which notably owns

Le Journal de Mickey

.

Sales probably decided in spring 2022

The offers of other buyers interested in the chains remain hypothetical.

Les Echos

cite Mediawan and NRJ, who have not formulated any "formal offer".

Alain Weill, the boss of

L'Express

, has publicly expressed an interest in taking over one of the channels, with the ambition of creating L'Express TV.

This is what he explained to our antenna at the end of November.

Les Echos

finally believe that the buyers could be chosen by the spring, in order to give pledges to the Competition Authority.

Its opinion on this merger project will be decisive.

It should be returned in October 2022.