RTL Nederland bought by DPG Media for 1.1 billion

Media company DPG Media wants to take over RTL Netherlands. The two companies have reached an agreement on this, reports DPG Media. The proposed acquisition involves an amount of 1.1 billion euros.

DPG Media has agreed with RTL Group that the RTL name will be retained. DPG Media intends to add RTL Nederland and RTL Nieuws under the leadership of Sven Sauvé as a new division to DPG Media.

RTL Nederland was already in the shop window. The Dutch regulator ACM (Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets) rejected an earlier plan by the Dutch media company Talpa to merge with RTL because a merger would give them too much power in the television and advertising market.

“We strongly believe in the future of television & streaming, where the power of good local programs and series is crucial”, says CEO Erik Roddenhof of DPG Media. “RTL Nederland therefore fits very well with DPG Media.” According to Roddenhof, joining forces is necessary to remain successful: “We can strengthen each other with knowledge, skills and investments.”

DPG Media CEO Christian Van Thillo says he believes that “consumers will continue to watch well-made programs. Our passion and strength lies in locally created content, something we do at DPG Media with all our media.”

The proposed acquisition is subject to approval by the ACM and will be submitted to the relevant works councils for advice.