New thunderclap in the daily press. After the economic daily La Tribune and Le Monde in late May in the coming days, it was the turn of the Parisien and Aujourd'hui en France to seek a partner. Yesterday, the Amaury group acknowledged having asked the bank Rothschild and Co. to conduct a strategic review to examine all options to bring to the whole compound of general daily Le Parisien, Aujourd'hui en France, their printing, their distribution system (SDVP) and the governed. This announcement confirms the information revealed in the morning by the Lettre de L'Expansion. Le Parisien is facing a difficult situation and the need to invest heavily in growth drivers such as new media and online paris.With the help of the bank board, the group chaired by Marie-Odile Amaury consider all possible forms of partnerships, the simple pooling of resources to the partnership business, or capital. "Many policy options are under scrutiny. Special care is applied to research alliance in the new media or creating new products. A partial backing of Paris is part of the perimeter of the study but no decision taken yet, "states the group in a brief statement issued yesterday evening. Internally, the wording is "in shock … Little has filtered communication internally and few would actually believe even if the tension was palpable from the start in the fall of the chief editor," says one reporter.
The statement said however: "The family wants to keep Amaury majority control of his group to continue its investment policy and ensure its development as it has for a long time." All these activities would, as the group is profitable and coupled both titles – Le Parisien and Aujourd'hui in France – had in 2009 paid circulation of 488,553 copies France, down 4.7% (OJD).
Implemented in 2011
Another certainty, this strategic study does not include activities with sports daily L'Équipe and ASO, the organizer of sporting events like the Tour de France. The time that the strategic review being conducted and that strategic options are discussed, no concrete implementation should take place before 2011.
For several weeks, rumors spoke of a possible sale of the entire group Amaury.The refusal, in February, from the group to take the presidency of the Cooperative Parisian dailies in Presstalis had raised some questions. Groups such as Lagardère and Bolloré had then been cited as potential buyers. The Lagardère group is familiar with the file because already owns 25% stake in Amory, against 75% to the family Amaury. Last week, Arnaud Lagardere had also reiterated its interest in the family group, saying "buyer of all or part (…) if the family does not want it, we will respect and then go forth." Problem, its interest mainly concerns the sports industry (ASO), as he himself pointed out at the launch of its new sports center, Lagardère Unlimited. Arnaud Lagardere has any future lunch with Marie-Odile Amaury.