German broadcaster Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland will acquire Disney’s 50% shareholding in Super RTL, turning the German children’s and family channel into a 100% subsidiary.
A binding agreement for the transaction has been signed with current joint venture partner, BVI Television Investments, a subsidiary of Walt Disney, according to parent company RTL Group. Financial details were not disclosed.
The move is subject to approval from the German and Austrian competition authorities. The full acquisition of Super RTL will support the growth plan for the RTL streaming service TVNow (to be renamed RTL+ later this year), according to RTL Group.
The transaction is another step in RTL Group’s strategy to consolidate across its existing European broadcasting footprint. In 2019, RTL Group’s French broadcasting business, Groupe M6, completed the acquisition of free-TV children’s channel Gulli and five pay-TV channels from Lagardère.
Most recently, RTL Group acquired the outstanding shareholdings in RTL Belgium’s TV and radio businesses, taking its ownership in RTL Belgium to 100%.
Super RTL was founded in 1995 as a 50/50 joint venture between RTL Group and The Walt Disney Company. With its umbrella brands, Toggo and Toggolino, Super RTL distributes its content via linear free-TV channels, streaming service TVNow, digital radio and a variety of apps and websites. Super RTL also operates a merchandising business.
