In the first quarter, the M6 group underwent a 2.3% drop in turnover to nearly 315 million euros, penalized in particular by a lesser dynamism of the cinema activity, despite an increase in its income from streaming, he announced on Tuesday.
The television group (M6, W9, 6TER, Gulli, etc.) and radio (RTL, RTL2, Fun Radio) also plans to “decline” in the 2nd quarter compared to the same period last year, marked by Euro-2014 football, he warns in its press release.
“Visibility on the rest of the year remains very low due to global economic and political uncertainties,” he adds.
“Digital transformation in progress”
In this context, the group, however, underlines to carry out its “best video advertising performance in a 1st quarter since 2019”, with a turnover of 222 million euros, up 0.8%.
This result is driven by streaming, the income of which increases by 25.9% to 24.7 million euros, or 9.9% of the total turnover of the video pole, against 7.7% in the 1st quarter 2024. The group, which launched M6+ almost a year ago, sees the reflection of “digital transformation in progress”.
The investments made in streaming explain partly, according to him, the drop in the group’s current operating profit (EBITA), to 48.1 million euros against 57.9 million euros in the first quarter of 2024.
Also in question, the slightest dynamism of the cinema activity after a “record year”. The number of halls in theaters has thus reached 2.4 million, mainly for “The Bodin’s go into a spin”, “Conclave”, “Tell me just that you love me” and “The secret of Khéops”, against 5 million in the first quarter of 2024, marked by “Cocorico” and “a life”.
In terms of diversifications, turnover increases by 3.3 million euros, to 9.9 million euros, “the contribution of the box to children (Gulli Parcs) compensating for the impact of the slowdown of the real estate market on the activities of Stéphane Plaza Immobilier”, according to M6.
The conviction to one year in suspended prison sentence by real estate agent Stéphane Plaza on February 18, for recurring domestic violence on a former companion, tarnished the image of his brand. The former M6 star disputes this decision and a appeal trial will take place.
Cyril Hanouna and a daily soap opera
In September, the group had to welcome Cyril Hanouna for two shows on Fun Radio in the afternoons and W9 in a pre-evening.
Asked several times on the subject during the general meeting of shareholders on Tuesday, the president of M6, David Larramendy, again praised the “very great talent” of the controversial animator.
He reiterated to work with him a program centered “on entertainment”, without “politicized speech”. “The idea is not to make a smooth show,” he said, calling W9 as “little sister ‘scratch” of M6 “.
The question of a possible candidacy of Cyril Hanouna to the presidential election in 2027 was not addressed.
The group also relies on the broadcast this summer of the first daily soap opera of M6, “new day”, embodied in particular by Bruno Solo and whose filming started in mid-April in the Montpellier region. “It’s a big investment,” said David Larramendy, evoking “150 technicians” and “35 people” for writing scenarios.
