Discovery Deutschland has agreed to acquire free-to-air (FTA) channel Tele 5 from German media company Leonine.
At the same time, both parties concluded a long-term programme supply deal, which grants Discovery access to Leonine’s extensive stock of fictional content.
With the takeover of Tele 5, of which financial terms were not disclosed, Discovery intends to expand its position in the German free-TV market and to capture new target groups and advertising sales potential. The series and movie channel will become part of Discovery Deutschland’s FTA portfolio, consisting of DMAX, TLC, Eurosport 1 and Home & Garden TV.
Following the sale of Tele 5, which is subject to approval by the relevant authorities, Leonine intends to focus on growth in its three strategic business segments of production, distribution and license sales.
In the TV and video sector, the Munich-based company operates subscription video-on-demand services Filmtastic, Home of Horror and Arthouse CNMA and holds a minority stake in commercial TV channel RTLzwei. The division is to remain a central component of the corporate strategy, according to Leonine.
