frances vivendi jumps into obstacle race for dailymotion
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

France's Vivendi jumps into obstacle race for Dailymotion

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today France's Vivendi jumps into obstacle race for Dailymotion

Dailymotion
Paris - Arab Today

France's Vivendi has made an offer for Dailymotion after attempts by Yahoo! and a Hong Kong telecoms giant to buy a stake in the video-sharing site were thwarted by the French government.
The offer from a French firm is likely to be more amenable to the government, in a country that is struggling to foster homegrown high-tech champions at a global level as its numerous start-ups often end up being snapped up by foreign companies.
The YouTube equivalent, which belongs to telecoms group Orange, has long generated interest from companies far and wide but the French government has fervently protected its national technology jewel, saying it would prefer to see it remain in European hands.
Quick-off-the-mark, Vivendi announced Tuesday it had made an offer to Orange for Dailymotion -- one of the 100 most visited websites worldwide -- though it gave no details as to the scale or amount of the bid.
The daily Le Monde reported that the French mass media multinational planned to buy up nearly all of the video-sharing platform for 250 million euros ($270 million).
- 'European champion' preferred -
France caused a furore in 2013 when it blocked a bid by US giant Yahoo! to acquire Dailymotion.
Yahoo! Inc. had been in talks to buy a 75-percent stake in Dailymotion, but the government, which holds almost 25 percent of Orange, had insisted on a 50-50 split.
Then Industrial Renewal Minister Arnaud Montebourg, a maverick widely viewed as anti-business who has since been forced out of the government, had said he blocked the deal because the US firm was seeking to "devour" the French company.
His move dealt a blow to France's business image at a time when the struggling country was trying to attract investment and kickstart a moribund economy.
Then last week Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron, a former investment banker viewed as pro-business, raised eyebrows when he came out against exclusive talks between Orange and the PCCW conglomerate owned by the son of Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing.
He acknowledged that the PCCW offer "could be a good option", but "I want to be sure that we don't have a European champion that we can build onto this platform," he told French television.
PCCW had planned to turn Dailymotion into a YouTube competitor in Asia, but Macron warned this meant the French video-sharing site would eventually turn into a Chinese platform.
Discouraged by the minister's comments, the Hong Kong firm announced Monday it had ended its bid for Dailymotion.
"The desire of the French government to encourage the search for a European solution discourages participation of international companies," PCCW said in a statement explaining its decision.
- Tool for French influence abroad -
The government's reluctance to give up Dailymotion to US or Hong Kong firms has some in France scratching their heads, particularly as it allowed the sale of a near 50-percent stake in the strategic airport of Toulouse to a Chinese consortium in December.
But Pascal Perri, an expert in the digital economy, said it made sense.
"Toulouse airport cannot be delocalised, it's here to stay whereas Dailymotion is a tool for France's influence abroad, which is important," he said.
Other companies have also expressed an interest in Dailymotion, according to several media reports, including French holding firm Fimalac and German group Bertelsmann.
Founded in 2005 by two French entrepreneurs, Dailymotion is the 85th most visited site in the world, according to web traffic data provider Alexa. YouTube is the third.
It is available in 18 languages, is strongly present in Asia but is not yet profitable.
"Dailymotion's success is not comparable to YouTube because YouTube latched onto a huge company that is now one of the main market capitalisations in the world," Perri said, referring to Google.
"Google is a strategic tool for Americans and when Obama talks about it, that's how he talks about it. It's good that we have the same reasoning."

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

frances vivendi jumps into obstacle race for dailymotion frances vivendi jumps into obstacle race for dailymotion

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

frances vivendi jumps into obstacle race for dailymotion frances vivendi jumps into obstacle race for dailymotion

 



GMT 12:48 2016 Sunday ,27 November

Cilic, Dodig push Croatia to brink of Davis Cup

GMT 05:24 2017 Thursday ,28 December

Erdogan says 'terrorist' Assad cannot be part of Syria

GMT 12:59 2016 Saturday ,05 November

WB welcomes economic reforms in Egypt

GMT 18:40 2016 Saturday ,05 November

Egyptian GDRs in London down

GMT 10:57 2017 Wednesday ,06 December

Peru striker Guerrero has doping ban extended

GMT 17:51 2017 Tuesday ,07 March

Trump Signs New Travel Ban on Six Muslim Countries

GMT 10:30 2017 Wednesday ,06 September

Saudi Information Ministry praises media role during Hajj

GMT 15:29 2017 Tuesday ,24 January

Mind games really do help your brain

GMT 06:55 2015 Thursday ,01 October

Boston Red Sox beat Yankees

GMT 08:17 2017 Monday ,28 August

Bahrain celebrates World Humanitarian Day 2017

GMT 02:07 2017 Tuesday ,28 February

Opposition seeks Russian support at Syria talks
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday