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M6 (TV channel)
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M6 (French: [ɛm sis]), also known as Métropole Television, is the most profitable private national French television channel[1][2] and the third most watched television network in the French-speaking world.[3] M6 is the head channel of the M6 Group media empire[4] that owns several TV channels, magazines, publications, movie production companies, and media-related firms. It is owned by RTL Group.
Key Information
On 20 May 2021, it was announced that M6 Group, owners of the channel, has proposed a merger with TF1 Group, which owns competing commercial network TF1.[5] On 16 September 2022, it was announced that the merger was officially abandoned, citing concerns from French antitrust regulator, the Autorité de la concurrence, regarding competition in the advertising sector; the combined entity was likely to have been required to sell either primary channel (M6 or TF1) for the merger to proceed.[6]
History
[edit]
M6 launched on 1 March 1987, at 11:15 am CET, taking the place of TV6.
M6's current on-air brand image, introduced in May 2020, suggests that it tailors its service to teenagers and young-adult demographics. Its current programs lineup include:
- French TV shows: Les Bleus, Scènes de Ménages, Vous les femmes
- French TV programs : Capital, Zone Interdite, Enquête Exclusive, Top Chef, Un dîner presque parfait, 100% Mag, 66 Minutes, Recherche Appartement ou Maison, L'amour est dans le pré, Maison à vendre, On ne choisit pas ses voisins, Belle toute nue, Nouveau Look pour une nouvelle vie, Hits Machines, M6 Boutique, LE 1945 and LE 1245 (news), Top tendance, Le meilleur patissier de france, Danse avec les stars, Morning Live, ...
- American TV shows: Blue Bloods; Elementary; Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (Esprits criminels : Unité sans frontières); Hawaii Five-0 (Hawaii 5-0); When Calls the Heart (Le cœur a ses raisons); Modern Family; How to Get Away with Murder (Murder); NCIS: New Orleans (NCIS: Nouvelle Orléans); New Girl; Quantico; Reign (Reign : Le Destin d'une reine); Rosewood; Scorpion; Good Witch (Un soupçon de magie); Once Upon A Time; NCIS (NCIS: enquêtes spéciales); NCIS: Los Angeles; Prison Break; Bones; Supernatural and Secrets and Lies (Secrets and Lies : l'affaire Tom Murphy); The X-Files (X-Files, aux frontières du réel); 24: Legacy; Bull; Code Black; MacGyver
- These American TV shows were previously shown on M6: Smallville;Scrubs; The Unit (The Unit : commando d'élite);Stargate Atlantis; Nip/Tuck; Californication; Kyle XY; Everybody Hates Chris (Tout le monde déteste Chris);Terra Nova; Desperate Housewives;Lie to Me;Medium (Médium); My Name Is Earl (Earl); Numbers; Charmed; The 4400 (Les 4 400); Jericho; The Dead Zone (Dead Zone); Stargate SG-1; Malcolm in the Middle (Malcolm); Friends; Alias; Sex and the City; Veronica Mars; Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Buffy contre les vampires); Ally McBeal; Roswell; Profiler; The Pretender (Le Caméléon); The Sentinel; Sliders (Sliders, les mondes parallèles); Hope & Faith (La Star de la famille); 8 Simple Rules (Touche pas à mes filles); My Wife and Kids (Ma famille d'abord); Still Standing (Une famille presque parfaite); Early Edition (Demain à la Une); Wildfire; Once and Again (Deuxième chance); Relic Hunter (Sydney Fox, l'aventurière); Medical Investigation (NIH : alertes médicales); Tru Calling (Tru Calling : compte à rebours); Commander in Chief; 1-800-Missing (Missing : disparus sans laisser de trace); Dark Skies (Dark Skies : l'impossible vérité); The Inside (The Inside : dans la tête des tueurs); Killer Instinct; Vanished; John Doe; LAX; Jake 2.0; Blind Justice; Threshold (Threshold : premier contact); Summerland; Beautiful People; Young Americans; Special Unit 2; The Evidence (The Evidence : les preuves du crime); South Beach; L.A. Heat (Los Angeles Heat); Married... with Children (Mariés, deux enfants); The Cosby Show (Cosby Show); Who's the Boss? (Madame est servie); The Nanny (Une nounou d'enfer); Little House on the Prairie (La Petite Maison dans la prairie); The Simpsons (Les Simpson); Bewitched (Ma sorcière bien-aimée); The Wonder Years (Les années coup de cœur) and Family Affair (Cher Oncle Bill).
- American programs: High School Musical; Camp Rock; America's Got Talent (with its own version : La France a un incroyable talent), American Idol (La Nouvelle Star), KaBlam! (KarToon (M6 version))
- British TV shows: Primeval; Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Journal intime d'une call girl).
- British TV programs: Britain's Got Talent (with its own version : La France a un incroyable talent), Pop Idol (with its own version : Nouvelle Star), The X-Factor (with its own version), Wife Swap
- These British TV shows were previously shown on M6: Footballers' Wives (Femme$ de footballeurs); Queer as Folk; Totally Frank; Bugs; and Hex (Hex : la malédiction).
- These Canadian TV shows were shown on M6: Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye (Sue Thomas, l'œil du FBI) and Falcon Beach.
- Investigative journalism shows, such as Capital, Zone interdite and Enquête Exclusive.
- Long-lasting short programs, such as Turbo, CinéSix, and E=M6, as well as numerous music videos.
In 2001, M6 became the first national French television network to broadcast reality programming. Its first program of this genre was Loft Story, and was highly watched. The president of TF1 at the time, Étienne Mougeotte, promised that TF1 would never air any reality programming. However, several months later, TF1 signed a contract with Endemol to air such programming. Endemol is the same company that created Loft Story for M6.
M6 is one of the only television services in France to have science-fiction programming as part of its regular schedule. Most supernatural dramas were shown on Saturday nights in what M6 called "la Trilogie du Samedi" (The Saturday Trilogy)
M6+
[edit]On 19 March 2008, M6 launched a new website, in addition to its official site. This TV Catch-up called M6 Replay[7] allows French Internet users (metropolitan France only) to view all M6 programs in the 6 p.m.-midnight slot (excluding films) one hour after their broadcasts, for one week. On 4 November 2013, M6 Replay was replaced by 6play.
On 27 March 2014, M6 launched 4 new thematic channels, "100% online", on 6play: 6play Comic (Humor), 6play Crazy Kitchen (Cooking), 6play Sixième Style (Fashion/Beauty), and 6play Stories (TV films).[8] On 9 February 2015, M6 launched 6play home time (Universe de la Maison).[citation needed]
On 1 December 2015, a new version of 6play was launched. A new 6play design is launched for the occasion and 6play now uses a personalized recommendation system under the "My selection" section similar to that of Netflix.[citation needed]
From 14 May 2024, 6play became M6+.[9]
Logo history
[edit]Programmes
[edit]News
[edit]- Le 12:45 (national edition) and 19:45 (national edition), afternoon and evening news.
- Zone Interdite, France's most influential Newsmagazine[10]
- 66 Minutes weekly news magazine.
- Capital, Economy-oriented newsmagazine.
- Enquête Exclusive, Investigation magazine.
Show and reality show
[edit]- Les reines du shopping
- X Factor
- Ice show
- Nouvelle star, (French adaptation of Pop Idol) reality television (until 2011, then it moved on D8)
- L'amour est dans le pré, French adaptation of Farmer Wants a Wife
- D&CO, homestyle show.
- E=M6, science magazine.
- Top Chef, French adaptation of Top Chef
- Belle toute nue, the French equivalent of Channel 4's How to Look Good Naked.
- Turbo, motor magazine.
- Chef, la recette, culinary magazine
- Vocation Medecin, health magazine
- Hit Machine, musical show.
- M6 Kid, program for children.
- Pekin Express, French adaptation of Dutch show Peking Express.
- Off Prime
- Accès Privé, entertainment news magazine
- Un dîner presque parfait, the French adaptation of Come Dine with Me
- Nouveau look pour une nouvelle vie, fashion magazine
- On ne choisit pas ses voisins, family magazine
- La France a un incroyable talent, the French adaptation of Britain's Got Talent
- Le Meilleur Pâtissier, the French adaptation of The Great British Bake Off
- Le choix, the French adaptation of The Taste.
- Cauchemar en cuisine, the French adaptation of Kitchen Nightmares.
- Show Me Your Voice, the French adaptation of I Can See Your Voice
- Lego Masters
- Le Juste Prix, the French adaptation of The Price Is Right
[check quotation syntax]Qui veut être mon associé?, the French adaptation of Dragons' Den
- Sport 6, sport magazine
Series
[edit]- 90210 Beverly Hills : Nouvelle Génération
- Blue Bloods
- Body of Proof
- Bones
- Burn Notice
- Californication
- Desperate Housewives
- Drop Dead Diva
- Earl
- En famille (French creation)
- FBI : Duo très spécial
- Glee
- Hawaii 5-0
- Journal intime d'une call girl
- Justified
- Kaamelott (French creation)
- L'Homme de la situation (French creation)
- La Méthode Claire (French creation)
- Le Transporteur (French-Canadian creation)
- Lie to Me
- Ma famille d'abord
- Ma femme, ma fille, deux bébés (French creation)
- Médium
- Modern Family
- NCIS : Enquêtes spéciales
- NCIS: Los Angeles
- New Girl
- Numbers
- Once Upon a Time
- Ringer
- Scènes de ménages (French creation)
- Scrubs
- Soda (French creation)
- Sons of Anarchy
- Supernatural
- Terra Nova
- The Finder
- The Glades
- The Good Wife
- un gars une fille
- Un, dos, tres
- Under the Dome[11]
- Victoire Bonnot (French creation)
- Wes et Travis
M6 Kid
[edit]- Presto ! School of Magic
- Alvinn!!! and the Chipmunks
- The Adventures of Paddington
- Dogmatix and the Indomitables
- Les filles de Dad
- Matt's Monsters
Past programs
[edit]- Super Nanny
- Culture Pub, a TV advertisements analysing show
- Graines de star, a talents contests show
- Loft Story (French adaptation of Big Brother), M6 and the first French reality show
- Les colocataires (Roommates) a show similar to Loft Story.
- Les Bleus (2006–2010) Police series about five rookies learning the ropes.
- Morning Live, Morning show
- Caméra Café, Comedy
- Nouvelle Star (French adaptation of American Idol)
- Êtes-vous plus fort qu'un élève de 10 ans ?, French adaptation of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
- Rubí rebelde, Venezuelan telenovela
- The Simpsons, moved to sister channel W9
- Total Wipeout (French adaptation of Wipeout)
- Stargate SG-1 The series has been fully aired between 18 September 1998, and 8 December 2007.
- Stargate Atlantis The first two seasons aired between 15 April 2005, and 29 July 2006.
- Atomic Betty Only the first two seasons
- The Toy Castle
- Disney Kid Club, A 2 Programmed Block aired from 2010 to 2016, after M6 Kid and before M6 Kid.
- Secrets d'actualité, Investigation magazine
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "METROPOLE TV : M6 - Zonebourse". www.zonebourse.com. 27 July 2010.
- ^ "News | Business Wire".
- ^ M6 has always been ranked after TF1 and before (by some measure) or after (by others) France 2
- ^ Lopez, Julia (19 September 2018). "Le Groupe M6 acquiert CTZAR - Groupe M6".
- ^ "TF1 & M6 Propose Merger; Vungle Acquires TreSensa – ExchangeWire.com".
- ^ "PROPOSED MERGER BETWEEN THE TF1 AND M6 GROUPS ABANDONED". PROPOSED MERGER BETWEEN THE TF1 AND M6 GROUPS ABANDONED. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ bertrand (13 March 2008). "Lancement de M6 Replay le 19 mars". Univers Freebox (in French). Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Médias : M6 lance 4 chaînes de télévisions gratuites 100% en ligne". Challenges (in French). 26 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Introducing M6+". company.rtl.com. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "M6+: émissions et séries en replay et en streaming". M6+.
- ^ "M6 a acheté Sous le dôme". AlloCiné. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in French)
- M6+
M6 (TV channel)
View on GrokipediaHistory
Inception and regulatory context (1986–1987)
The liberalization of French broadcasting in the mid-1980s was driven by the Loi n° 86-1067 du 30 septembre 1986 relative à la liberté de communication, enacted under Prime Minister Jacques Chirac's center-right government following the March 1986 legislative elections. This legislation privatized the state monopoly TF1, established the Haute Autorité de la communication audiovisuelle to oversee concessions, and authorized new private terrestrial channels to foster competition and diversity in electronic communication.[4] Prior to the law's full implementation, the preceding socialist administration had granted a temporary authorization on 28 January 1986 for the sixth national channel to a consortium led by advertising agency Publicis, launching TV6—a music and youth-oriented channel—on 1 March 1986. The Chirac government, skeptical of the consortium's financial stability and programming sustainability, revoked TV6's concession after less than a year of operation, alongside similar actions against other nascent channels like La Cinq. In its stead, the Haute Autorité awarded the permanent concession for the sixth channel to the Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT), a Luxembourg-based entity with experience in commercial broadcasting through RTL, enabling cross-border signal transmission compliant with French regulations. CLT, which had eyed the French market since announcing RTL6 plans in 1985, incorporated Métropole Télévision S.A. to operate the channel, securing additional French partners to meet ownership quotas under the 1986 law requiring majority national control. M6 commenced broadcasting on 1 March 1987 at 11:15 a.m. CET, directly supplanting TV6's frequency and targeting a generalist audience with entertainment-focused programming to differentiate from public broadcasters. This inception marked France's expansion to five private national channels, reflecting a shift from state dominance to market-driven media amid technological advances like improved UHF transmission.[5][1]Early operations and survival challenges (1987–1995)
M6, operated by Métropole Télévision, commenced broadcasting on March 1, 1987, as France's sixth national terrestrial channel, succeeding the short-lived TV6 which had ceased operations due to financial insolvency. With an initial budget of FFr 500 million—approximately one-quarter that of rival private channel La Cinq—the channel launched amid skepticism regarding the viability of additional private broadcasters in a market dominated by state-owned networks. Initial transmission coverage was restricted to less than one-third of French territory, limiting its potential audience and advertising revenue potential.[6][7] Early programming emphasized counter-programming strategies to differentiate from established channels, featuring extensive music videos aimed at younger demographics alongside imported American series such as Cagney & Lacey and The Cosby Show. This youth-oriented approach, however, drew criticism from the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) for insufficient French and European content quotas. Operations were supported by major shareholders Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT) and Lyonnaise des Eaux, each holding 25% stakes initially, which provided crucial funding amid mounting losses of FFr 380 million in the first year.[6][7] Survival challenges intensified through the late 1980s, with cumulative losses reaching FFr 1.4 billion by 1991, exacerbated by low initial audience shares of around 2% and fierce competition for advertising from public channels. A 1989 analysis by Médias 92 highlighted precarious finances, projecting profitability for M6 only by 1992 under optimistic scenarios where public broadcasters limited advertising revenues to FFr 4.3 billion annually. Expansion of the transmitter network in 1988 tripled coverage to 18 million households, gradually boosting audience to 9% by 1991 and enabling revenues of FFr 800 million, though losses persisted at FFr 140 million that year.[8][7][6] Shareholder commitments increased to 34% each by 1991, sustaining operations until audience growth to 10% in 1992 yielded first profits of FFr 100 million. Introduction of original programming like Capital and Culture Pub further diversified offerings. By 1993, shares reached 12% with revenues of FFr 1.8 billion and profits of FFr 230 million, culminating in a 1994 initial public offering on the Paris Stock Exchange at FFr 260 per share, oversubscribed 38 times, which raised capital and signaled market confidence.[7][6]Expansion through diversification (1996–2010)
Following regulatory pressures from the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA) imposing stricter programming quotas in 1996, Métropole Télévision increased investments in in-house production to comply while expanding its content offerings. This period marked the beginning of broader diversification beyond the flagship M6 channel, with launches of specialized services to capture niche audiences and additional revenue streams. In 1998, the group introduced the Home Shopping Service for teleshopping content and Fun TV, a music-oriented channel derived from its radio assets, enhancing its portfolio in entertainment and commerce.[6] By 1999, diversification extended into sports ownership, as M6, in partnership with CLT-UFA, acquired the Girondins de Bordeaux football club in May, aiming to leverage sports rights and fan engagement for cross-promotional synergies; that year, group sales reached FFr 4.1 billion (approximately $680 million). In 2004, M6 acquired full control of Paris Première, a premium cable channel previously partially owned, from Suez for around €25 million, bolstering its pay-TV presence with cultural and entertainment programming. The launch of W9 in 2005 as France's first digital terrestrial channel further expanded free-to-air options, targeting younger demographics with music videos and reality formats, contributing to a national audience share of 13.5% for M6 by 2000 among general stations.[9][10][6][1] Non-broadcast diversification accelerated with the June 2005 launch of M6 Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in partnership with Orange, offering bundled telephony and media services that quickly attracted over 100,000 subscribers by October. These initiatives, combining thematic channels, acquisitions, and ventures into sports and telecommunications, solidified Groupe M6's position as a multifaceted media entity, with in-house productions forming the majority of its top-rated programs by the late 1990s.[11][6]Adaptation to digital disruption (2011–present)
In response to the rise of on-demand video platforms and declining linear TV viewership, Groupe M6 enhanced its catch-up service 6play, originally launched in 2008, by introducing four ad-supported thematic channels on the platform in March 2014: 6play Comic for humor, 6play Crazy Kitchen for cooking, 6play Sixième Style for fashion, and 6play Action for sports highlights. These moves aimed to retain younger audiences migrating to digital consumption amid competition from global services like Netflix, which entered France in 2014.[12] Facing intensifying pressure from U.S. streaming giants, Groupe M6 pursued consolidation strategies, including exploratory talks in 2015 to merge streaming assets with TF1 and France Télévisions, which collapsed amid regulatory and competitive concerns.[12] A more ambitious merger with rival TF1 was announced in 2021 to pool resources against Netflix and others but was abandoned in September 2022 due to antitrust hurdles from French regulators, preventing a combined entity with over 90% market share in key areas.[13] [14] To bolster its digital infrastructure, Groupe M6 co-founded Bedrock in 2020 as a joint venture with RTL Group, evolving from the 6play product team to develop advanced AVOD (advertising-based video on demand) technology; Bedrock powered early innovations like pre-roll and mid-roll ads on French IPTV set-top boxes via partnerships with Orange and SFR.[15] In October 2022, M6 introduced an ad-free SVOD tier for 6play on select smart TVs, expanding to hybrid models.[16] Digital revenues from AVOD and SVOD reached approximately €80 million in 2022, reflecting steady growth despite overall advertising declines.[17] The period culminated in a major pivot with the May 2024 launch of M6+, replacing 6play as Groupe M6's flagship AVOD platform, developed by Bedrock with a doubled content library, personalized recommendations, and integrated live channels.[18] Backed by a €100 million investment over four years, M6+ targets breakeven by 2027 and aims to double streaming revenues to €200 million by 2028, driven by 34.2% year-on-year growth to €99.5 million in 2024.[19] [20] Strategic partnerships, such as a September 2024 content and editorial alliance with Paramount's Pluto TV, further expanded free ad-supported streaming reach in France.[21] These adaptations underscore Groupe M6's shift toward hybrid linear-digital models, with streaming now comprising 9.6% of total revenues amid broader industry fragmentation.[20]Ownership and corporate structure
Formation of Groupe M6 and RTL Group ties
Groupe M6 was established in 1987 as a French media holding company centered on the launch of the M6 television channel on March 1, 1987, marking the entry of private national broadcasting in France following regulatory liberalization. The initiative was led by the Luxembourg-based Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT), which initially held a 25% stake in the venture, partnered with French entities including La Lyonnaise des Eaux through its subsidiary Lyonnaise des Communications. This structure positioned M6, originally named Métropole Télévision, as a commercial broadcaster competing with state-dominated television, with CLT providing expertise in pan-European programming and operations.[22][1][23] The ties to what became RTL Group originated with CLT's foundational role, as CLT merged with UFA (a Bertelsmann subsidiary) in 1997 to form CLT-UFA, which then combined with Pearson Television in 2000 to create RTL Group, a Luxembourg-headquartered pan-European media conglomerate. Through this lineage, RTL Group retained and expanded its influence over Groupe M6, which listed on the Paris stock exchange in September 1994. By February 2004, the French media regulator CSA recognized RTL Group as the principal shareholder, with a 48.5% economic interest that enables full consolidation in RTL's financial statements despite a minority voting stake due to cross-shareholding arrangements with Groupe M6.[22][24] This strategic alliance has endured, with RTL Group maintaining operational and editorial independence for Groupe M6 while leveraging synergies in content production and distribution across Europe; for instance, in 2016, Groupe M6 acquired RTL Group's French radio assets (RTL, RTL2, and Fun Radio) to consolidate domestic operations. RTL Group's long-term commitment was reaffirmed in 2022 when it opted against divesting its stake amid merger discussions with Groupe TF1, underscoring the 35-year partnership's value in navigating competitive media landscapes.[25][24]Financial performance and profitability metrics
Groupe M6's consolidated revenue in 2024 totaled €1,311.2 million, marking a marginal decline of 0.3% from €1,315.6 million in 2023, reflecting stability amid advertising market pressures.[26] Advertising revenues, the primary income source, fell slightly by 0.5% to €1,061.6 million, with video advertising up 0.8% to €912.3 million but offset by declines in radio and digital segments.[20] Non-advertising revenues rose modestly to €249.6 million, driven by production and distribution activities including M6 Films and SND.[20] Profitability metrics indicated a contraction in 2024, with consolidated profit from recurring operations (EBITA) dropping 19.5% to €242.1 million from €300.7 million in 2023, corresponding to an operating margin of 18.5% versus 22.9%.[26] This downturn stemmed from €46.4 million in costs for the M6+ streaming platform launch and a broader video advertising slowdown, though streaming revenues expanded 34.2% to €99.5 million, representing 9.6% of video segment income.[20] Net current income attributable to the Group decreased 26.2% to €172.8 million from €234.1 million.[26]| Year | Revenue (€ million) | EBITA (€ million) | Operating Margin (%) | Net Profit Group Share (€ million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,324.1 | 336.2 | 25.4 | 160.6 |
| 2023 | 1,315.6 | 300.7 | 22.9 | 234.1 |
| 2024 | 1,311.2 | 242.1 | 18.5 | 172.8 |