A merger between French rival direct-to-home (DTH) satellite platforms Canal Satellite and TPS is unlikely, according to TPSDeputy Managing Director Guillaume de Posch. Deals to merge platforms in Spain and Italy are set to be completed in the next few weeks, leaving France as the only major Western European market where there are two rival pay-TV satellite platforms.

De Posch does not see this situation changing. He told SATELLITE TODAY: “As long as we continue to grow in terms of net acquisitions, why should the two platforms merge. If you look at the Italian situation, there were piracy issues and the two platforms combined were losing money. Here we have a situation, where we are almost breakeven and Canal Satellite is slightly profitable. So, the urge to merge is far less important here in France than in other countries where operators were bleeding.”

An exclusive in-depth interview with Guillaume de Posch can be found in the May 7 issue of PBI Media’s Interspace.