RTL


RTL confirms Russian sale

RTL Group has confirmed it has exercised a put option to sell its 7.5% stake in Russia’s National Media Group. RTL revealed its decision to sell at the time of its half-year financial report for 2013, published at the end of August. The Group has now received a payment of €81 million (US$109.5) in the […]

FremantleMedia hires M&A expert from NBCU

FremantleMedia is gearing up for international acquisition activity with the hire of an M&A specialist from NBCUniversal. Julian Tomkins is joining the X Factor producer in a new role as director of strategy and mergers and acquisitions with immediate effect, based in London and reporting directly to FremantleMedia CEO Celine Frot-Coutaz (left). Tomkins comes across […]

Hindle restructures FremantleMedia’s digital operation

FremantleMedia has restructured its digital operations, putting several of its execs in senior positions. The RTL-owned producer and distributor implemented a wide-ranging restructure earlier this year, part of which was creating a Digital and Branded Entertainment arm. Keith Hindle (above), who was previously CEO of the Americas for the company’s now defunct licensing and distribution […]

RTL plans Russia exit

European broadcast giant RTL Group is planning to exit the Russian market after reportedly failing to gain control of leading channel operator National Media Group. Last week, RTL revealed it was exercising a put option to sell the 7.5% stake it owns in NMG. The value of the stake was €81 milion (US$108 million), RTL […]

RTL Group strong despite ad slump and FremantleMedia profit up

RTL Group reported strong first half results, despite ad market decreases in all of its core markets except Germany, which remained stable year-on-year. The firm attributed these ad conditions for a slight decrease in revenue, which was down 1.3% year-on-year to €2.78 billion. However, profit was up 52.6% to €418 million, while reported EBITDA was […]

German channels to remake Best House, Coach Trip

A pair of German channels has commissioned daytime formats from ITV Studios. Kabel Eins has ordered a 20x33mins remake of May the Best House Win, which will be known locally as Mein Zuhause, Dein Zuhause – Wer Wohnt am Schönsten. It will air in a striped weekday slot from August 19. The 6x60mins Coach Trip […]

RTL strikes German OTT deal with Magine

RTL Deutschland has inked a deal with OTT service Magine. The exclusive agreement means RTL’s six free-to-air channels will be carried on Magine. The RTL offerings in question are the core RTL channel as well as Vox, N-TV, RTL Nitro, Super RTL and RTL II. Magine makes full linear channels available over the top and […]

Sky Living subscribes to Blacklist

UK pay TV channel Sky Living HD has secured rights to air NBC’s upcoming drama series The Blacklist. The BSkyB-owned channel has closed an exclusive deal with Sony Pictures Television for the show, which was NBC’s highest rated pilot in more than a decade and considered among the top new US scripted series to come […]

Indian sellers look to edge out Turks in CEE

Indian family telenovelas are primed to replace the Turkish dramas as the in-vogue imported scripted product in Central and Eastern Europe, according to sources at India’s key broadcasters. A delegation of Indian distributors from the likes of Viacom18, Zee Entertainment and Star India attended the NATPE Budapest market last week in a bid to drum […]

RTL Group invests US$36m in YouTube network BroadbandTV

RTL Group has partnered with multi-channel YouTube content network BroadbandTV, putting US$36 million into the firm in the first of a string of planned investments. The deal, designed to increase RTL Group’s expansion in the online video market while upping BroadbandTV’s global growth strategy, gives RTL Group a 51% shareholding in BroadbandTV. RTL Group also […]