In buying over the Cyréalis group, M6 Web, the subsidiary for developments in new technology, is showing its determination to build up a top-notch Internet platform in France.  This deal makes M6 one of the top 15 most visited sites in France with a total of 8.9 million unique visitors per month. 

Cyréalis’ Internet expertise will help M6 Web to continue developing the websites for its channels and programmes (M6.fr, M6Replay.fr, etc.) and expand its range of themed portals. To encourage the integration of the two teams, Cyréalis’ founders Jerry Nieuviarts and Nicolas Rosset-Lanchet will join M6 Web’s Executive Committee, though Cyréalis’ Lyon office will still be operational.

The Groupe M6’s Managing Director Nicolas de Tavernost commented: “Our acquisition of Cyréalis is another step in M6’s strategy of profitable growth, giving us the means to strengthen our Internet offer and become one of the leading players on the Web with a strong and diverse range of content and services. The Group is delighted to welcome Cyréalis’ two founders, whose experience will no doubt prove valuable to M6 Web”.

Nicolas de Tavernost

This move also allows M6 Web to diversify its Internet-based income sources. Thanks to the takeover, M6 Publicité has a bigger target group and a stronger position. M6 Web will assume control of sites managed by Cyréalis and expand its range of targeted offers. Now almost one in three Internet users will use websites managed for M6 Publicité for information, entertainment, communication or even shopping.

Jerry Nieuviarts, Managing Director of Cyréalis, said: “We’ve made Cyréalis one of the top independent Internet players in France. We’re proud to be joining the Groupe M6, a media leader with a real policy of diversification, whose additional experience and know-how in the domain of media content will help us boost the monetisation of our audience and our brand portfolio”.

The Cyréalis group’s main activity was the operation of three editorial websites on high technology (clubic.com) video games (jeuxvideo.fr) and e-business (neteco.com). It also ran a price comparison site (achetezfacile.com). Cyréalis sites received a total of 5.3 million unique visitors per month, mainly men aged 15 to 35 and over. The company’s turnover for 2007 was 6.9 million euro, and its result from operations was 3.0 million euro.