M6 (French pronunciation: [ɛm sis]), also known as Métropole Télévision, is the most profitable private national French television channel and the third most watched television network in the French-speaking world. M6 is the head channel of the M6 Group media empire that owns several TV channels, magazines, publications, movie production companies, and media-related firms. It is owned by RTL Group.
On 20 May 2021, it was announced that M6 Group, owners of the channel, has proposed a merger with TF1 Group, which owns competing commercial network TF1. On 16 September 2022, it was announced that the merger was officially abandoned, citing concerns from French antitrust regulator, the Autorité de la concurrence, regarding competition in the advertising sector; the combined entity was likely to have been required to sell either primary channel (M6 or TF1) for the merger to proceed.
Contents
History
M6 launched on 1 March 1987, at 11:15 am CET, taking the place of TV6.
M6's current on-air brand image, introduced in May 2020, suggests that it tailors its service to teenagers and young-adult demographics. Its current programs lineup include:
French TV shows: Les Bleus, Scènes de Ménages, Vous les femmes
French TV programs : Capital, Zone Interdite, Enquête Exclusive, Top Chef, Un dîner presque parfait, 100% Mag, 66 Minutes, Recherche Appartement ou Maison, L'amour est dans le pré, Maison à vendre, On ne choisit pas ses voisins, Belle toute nue, Nouveau Look pour une nouvelle vie, Hits Machines, M6 Boutique, LE 1945 and LE 1245 (news), Top tendance, Le meilleur patissier de france, Danse avec les stars, Morning Live, ...
American TV shows: Blue Bloods; Elementary; Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (Esprits criminels : Unité sans frontières); Hawaii Five-0 (Hawaii 5-0); When Calls the Heart (Le cœur a ses raisons); Modern Family; How to Get Away with Murder (Murder); NCIS: New Orleans (NCIS: Nouvelle Orléans); New Girl; Quantico; Reign (Reign : Le Destin d'une reine); Rosewood; Scorpion; Good Witch (Un soupçon de magie); Once Upon A Time; NCIS (NCIS: enquêtes spéciales); NCIS: Los Angeles; Prison Break; Bones; Supernatural and Secrets and Lies (Secrets and Lies : l'affaire Tom Murphy); The X-Files (X-Files, aux frontières du réel); 24: Legacy; Bull; Code Black; MacGyver
These American TV shows were previously shown on M6: Smallville;Scrubs; The Unit (The Unit : commando d'élite);Stargate Atlantis; Nip/Tuck; Californication; Kyle XY; Everybody Hates Chris (Tout le monde déteste Chris);Terra Nova; Desperate Housewives;Lie to Me;Medium (Médium); My Name Is Earl (Earl); Numbers; Charmed; The 4400 (Les 4 400); Jericho; The Dead Zone (Dead Zone); Stargate SG-1; Malcolm in the Middle (Malcolm); Friends; Alias; Sex and the City; Veronica Mars; Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Buffy contre les vampires); Ally McBeal; Roswell; Profiler; The Pretender (Le Caméléon); The Sentinel; Sliders (Sliders, les mondes parallèles); Hope & Faith (La Star de la famille); 8 Simple Rules (Touche pas à mes filles); My Wife and Kids (Ma famille d'abord); Still Standing (Une famille presque parfaite); Early Edition (Demain à la Une); Wildfire; Once and Again (Deuxième chance); Relic Hunter (Sydney Fox, l'aventurière); Medical Investigation (NIH : alertes médicales); Tru Calling (Tru Calling : compte à rebours); Commander in Chief; 1-800-Missing (Missing : disparus sans laisser de trace); Dark Skies (Dark Skies : l'impossible vérité); The Inside (The Inside : dans la tête des tueurs); Killer Instinct; Vanished; John Doe; LAX; Jake 2.0; Blind Justice; Threshold (Threshold : premier contact); Summerland; Beautiful People; Young Americans; Special Unit 2; The Evidence (The Evidence : les preuves du crime); South Beach; L.A. Heat (Los Angeles Heat); Married... with Children (Mariés, deux enfants); The Cosby Show (Cosby Show); Who's the Boss? (Madame est servie); The Nanny (Une nounou d'enfer); Little House on the Prairie (La Petite Maison dans la prairie); The Simpsons (Les Simpson); Bewitched (Ma sorcière bien-aimée); The Wonder Years (Les années coup de cœur) and Family Affair (Cher Oncle Bill).
M6+
On 19 March 2008, M6 launched a new website, in addition to its official site. This TV Catch-up called M6 Replay allows French Internet users (metropolitan France only) to view all M6 programs in the 6 p.m.-midnight slot (excluding films) one hour after their broadcasts, for one week. On 4 November 2013, M6 Replay was replaced by 6play.
On 27 March 2014, M6 launched 4 new thematic channels, "100% online", on 6play: 6play Comic (Humor), 6play Crazy Kitchen (Cooking), 6play Sixième Style (Fashion/Beauty), and 6play Stories (TV films). On 9 February 2015, M6 launched 6play home time (Universe de la Maison).
On 1 December 2015, a new version of 6play was launched. A new 6play design is launched for the occasion and 6play now uses a personalized recommendation system under the "My selection" section similar to that of Netflix.
From 14 May 2024, 6play became M6+.
In its first-quarter 2026 financial report, released on 28 April 2026, M6 Group reported that the M6+ platform had reached 31.7 million unique users, a 14% increase over the previous year. The group also confirmed its position as the exclusive free-to-air broadcaster for all matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in France, anticipating that the tournament would drive record digital engagement for the streaming service.
Programmes
News
Le 12:45 (national edition) and 19:45 (national edition), afternoon and evening news.
Zone Interdite, France's most influential Newsmagazine
66 Minutes weekly news magazine.
Capital, Economy-oriented newsmagazine.
Enquête Exclusive, Investigation magazine.
Show and reality show
Les reines du shopping
X Factor
Ice show
Nouvelle star, (French adaptation of Pop Idol) reality television (until 2011, then it moved on D8)
L'amour est dans le pré, French adaptation of Farmer Wants a Wife
D&CO, homestyle show.
E=M6, science magazine.
Top Chef, French adaptation of Top Chef
Belle toute nue, the French equivalent of Channel 4's How to Look Good Naked.
Turbo, motor magazine.
Chef, la recette, culinary magazine
Vocation Medecin, health magazine
Hit Machine, musical show.
M6 Kid, program for children.
Pekin Express, French adaptation of Dutch show Peking Express.
Off Prime
Accès Privé, entertainment news magazine
Un dîner presque parfait, the French adaptation of Come Dine with Me
Nouveau look pour une nouvelle vie, fashion magazine
On ne choisit pas ses voisins, family magazine
Series
90210 Beverly Hills : Nouvelle Génération
Blue Bloods
Body of Proof
Bones
Burn Notice
Californication
Desperate Housewives
Drop Dead Diva
Earl
En famille (French creation)
FBI : Duo très spécial
Glee
Hawaii 5-0
Journal intime d'une call girl
Justified
Kaamelott (French creation)
L'Homme de la situation (French creation)
La Méthode Claire (French creation)
Le Transporteur (French-Canadian creation)
Lie to Me
Ma famille d'abord
Ma femme, ma fille, deux bébés (French creation)
Médium
Modern Family
NCIS : Enquêtes spéciales
NCIS: Los Angeles
New Girl
M6 Kid
Presto ! School of Magic
Alvinn!!! and the Chipmunks
The Adventures of Paddington
Dogmatix and the Indomitables
Les filles de Dad
Matt's Monsters
Past programs
Super Nanny
Culture Pub, a TV advertisements analysing show
Graines de star, a talents contests show
Loft Story (French adaptation of Big Brother), M6 and the first French reality show
Les colocataires (Roommates) a show similar to Loft Story.
Les Bleus (2006–2010) Police series about five rookies learning the ropes.
Morning Live, Morning show
Caméra Café, Comedy
Nouvelle Star (French adaptation of Pop Idol)
Êtes-vous plus fort qu'un élève de 10 ans ?, French adaptation of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Rubí rebelde, Venezuelan telenovela
The Simpsons, moved to sister channel W9
Total Wipeout (French adaptation of Wipeout)
Stargate SG-1 The series has been fully aired between 18 September 1998, and 8 December 2007.
Stargate Atlantis The first two seasons aired between 15 April 2005, and 29 July 2006.
Atomic Betty Only the first two seasons
The Toy Castle
Disney Kid Club, A 2 Programmed Block aired from 2010 to 2016, after M6 Kid and before M6 Kid.