In a previous blog, I was wondering if a press mogul would be tempted by Le Parisien which Amaury put on sale last June. It seems that the new French media tycoon, Vincent Bolloré is tempted to move as he said recently in a Figaro interview. What could be his reasons? The synergy between his free sheets Direct Plus and the regional daily are not so obvious. The buying of the printing unit of Saint Ouen which is included in the deal is more a handicap than an asset. However, it is well known that Sarkozy has always followed closely the fate of Le Parisien. Has he pushed Bolloré to make an offer? It is likely. Nevertheless, the man from Britanny is a tough manager. He won't agree to pay the hardly profitable newspaper at an inflated rate. Lets say that his offer could be around 100 million euros, one half of Amaury expectations.
The true priority for Bolloré is the buying of Nice Matin which would help the development of his Riviera television. Groupe Hersant, the owner of the daily is pushed to sell by its bankers. We'll know more next week.
