RTL Group to Sell Dutch TV and Streaming Division to DPG Media

RTL Nederland spans five free-to-air TV channels (RTL 4, RTL 5, RTL 7, RTL 8 and RTL Z), three digital pay-TV channels (RTL Lounge, RTL Crime, RTL Telekids) and an independent news organisation. Also included in the deal is Videoland, the Netherlands’ number one local streaming service with 1.3 million paying subscribers.

DPG Media is active in Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, with offerings in news media, television, radio, magazines and online services. Its TV brands in the region include VTM and RTL Belgium.

As part of the sale, RTL Group and DPG Media will enter into a strategic partnership, spanning technology, advertising sales and content.

Service agreements for RTL Nederland have been put in place for streaming technology (via Bedrock), broadcasting operations (via RTL Group’s technical services provider BCE) and international advertising sales (via RTL AdAlliance). RTL Nederland will also continue to use the solutions provided by RTL Group’s ad-tech business, Smartclip.

RTL Group’s broadcasters in Germany, France and Hungary will receive first-look rights for all new programmes developed by RTL Nederland for at least three years. DPG Media will also continue to use the “RTL” brand in the Netherlands at least until December 2034.

The deal comes nearly a year after Dutch competition authorities blocked RTL’s plans to acquire rival Talpa, saying the merged group would be too dominant in the Dutch market.

Thomas Rabe, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RTL Group, said: “For several years, we have consistently said that market consolidation in the European TV industry is necessary to compete with the global tech giants. After our in-country consolidation strategy was blocked by the competition authorities in January 2023, the sale to DPG Media is the best strategic option for RTL Nederland and all its stakeholders.”

Christian Van Thillo, Executive Chairman of DPG Media Group, said: “Together with our leading TV brands VTM and RTL Belgium, we will be able to build a group that has the necessary scale to invest in the digital transformation of television.”