France Telecom buys portal Cityvox

The telecom operator puts his hand on the site french information about exits and shows major cities. An operation that reflects the ambitions of Orange in trades audience and adds to the wave of consolidation under way in the Internet sector french.

France Telecom is investing across the board in the content. The incumbent telecom has announced its acquisition of 100% of the company Cityvox news portal on outings and entertainment on the Internet, for an undisclosed amount. The operation "is part of Orange's strategy to develop its Internet services and the hearing of its portals and consolidates its current position of France in the third hearing and the first advertising on the Web," argued the trader. The two companies already working closely together: Cityvox had entrusted Orange Advertising marketing its advertising space since 2002 while addressing the content of the "city" site orange.fr.

After acquiring Auféminin by the German publisher Axel Springer, to 284 million euros last summer, followed by Doctissimo by Lagardère for 138 million euros last month, this acquisition is part of the wave Consolidation french websites. Smaller than these two behemoths of the Web, claiming Cityvox with its site and its declinations "cinefil.fr", "concerts.fr" and "spectacles.fr" more than 2.2 million unique visitors each month. Its turnover at the end of the year ending June 30, 2007 amounted to 3.3 million and is expected to reach 5 million euros this year. Founded in 1999 by Bertrand and Michel Athenour Bigay, the company employs 60 people full-time, including 40 at its headquarters in Marseille and claims to have introduced in recent years "a profitable business model", based almost exclusively on advertising. The site, which also feeds the comments of 350,000 regular contributors, covering 260 cities in France and 300 in Europe.

Orange can now boast of an audience of over 58 million unique visitors in the world and 17 million in France, slightly higher than Lagardère Advertising (16 million following the purchase of Doctissimo). The mobile and Internet to develop "new proximity services including mobility" and local advertising revenues, while extending to the international model Cityvox in countries where Orange is present.