The inevitable rise of BFMTV’s new owner, Rodolphe Sade
investigation – CEO of ship owner CMA CGM to buy 100% of Altice Media including BFMTV news channel and RMC Radio.
After stepping into the press, Rodolphe Sade has just made a big leap into the audiovisual sector. At 54, the CEO of ship owner CMA CGM has just hung a prestigious trophy on his hunting board. He is preparing to buy 100% of Altice Media, including BFMTV and RMC, from Patrick Drahi. Transaction amount: 1.55 billion euros in cash.
A fifth fortune in France, reputed to be close to President Emmanuel Macron, with whom he communicates regularly, the businessman bought at a high price a unique opportunity to influence the French landscape of ideas and public debate. Franco-Lebanese can benefit from RMC Radio and five national channels (RMC Story, RMC Découverte, etc.), including BFMTV, France’s first continuous news channel.
And, as of today, only one is profitable as LCI and CNews are still loss-making. “ Rodolphe Saade has plenty of money and liquidity, coming in a sector, audiovisual, that is very financially challenging…