RTL has fully acquired Nordic multiplatform video network United Screens for a price of SEK 120 million US$15 million). RTL said the deal, which was announced today and closed on January 2, would expand its footprint as “the leading European media company in online video”. As part of the deal RTL said it also plans […]
Digital revenues boosted RTL’s revenue performance significantly in the second half, with the German broadcaster also seeing solid growth from production arm FremantleMedia. RTL’s domestic German and French broadcasting operations posted decent returns, but overall EBITDA was pushed down by the phased out of M6’s mobile contract in France and lower advertising revenue in the […]
The presence of American Idol on Fox in the US in the first quarter last year cast an unflattering light on RTL Group’s comparative performance for the first three months of 2017, with revenue down 1.9% and EBITDA down 8.3%. Excluding the American Idol effect, RTL’s Q1 revenue was up 4%, in line with guidance, […]
FremantleMedia has upped its investment in European multichannel network Divimove. Thought RTL Group-owned Fremantle’s stake remains at 75%, the new cash ensures Divimove founders Brian Ruhe, Philipp Bernecker and Sebastiaan van Dam remain in their respective CEO, marketing and audience posts for another two years. This is in stark contrast to RTL’s strategy with another […]
RTL Group will not exercise its call option to acquire the 49% of YouTube multichannel network BroadbandTV that it does not already own, and has decided to explore “all strategic alternatives” for the company together with minority shareholders. Luxembourg-based RTL has hired boutique investment advisor outfit Liontree to lead the process. An RTL spokesman told […]
Sweden-based mobile-centric interactive app specialist Toca Boca has launched a newsubscription video-on-demand service, Toca TV in 150 countries, featuring a selection of curated and original short-form videos from the web. The service is aimed at five-to-nine year-olds – and more specifically, families with iPad tablets. It is also available on iPhones, with Android to follow […]
Why are television’s biggest groups spending millions of dollars on YouTube talent-focused multichannel networks? Jesse Whittock speaks with key players to build a picture of this emerging ecosystem and identify where the digital dollars are coming from. Research released this summer suggested the top 100 YouTube multichannel networks are worth nearly US$10 billion, with the […]
Multi-channel network BroadbandTV is partnering with Bertelsmann stablemate and music publisher BMG on an initiative to push emerging artists to YouTube and digital audiences. The two firms have created Windfall, which they say is “a model set for the digital age, providing an end-to-end solution to find, develop, and service artists across all platforms”. In […]
RTL-backed multichannel network BroadbandTV has partnered with the Huffington Post to launch a “next-generation online video journalism network”. Outspeak will allow journalists and content creators to tell their stories across both companies’ platforms, with selected content makers to be given the chance to develop their channels into original content series co-produced with Outspeak. BroadbandTV and […]
RTL Group has created a digital hub that will manage RTL Group’s portfolio of digital acquisitions and help support their international expansion. The RTL Digital Hub team will develop the firm’s investments in multichannel networks, in particular BroadbandTV and StyleHaul, and in the digital advertising sales businesses SpotXchange and Clypd. The RTL Digital Hub will also work […]
