Sky Deutschland has been acquired by RTL, ending years of speculation on its future and representing RTL’s biggest ever buy.
The channel group paid €150M ($175M) for Sky’s German arm, “with additional variable consideration linked to future value creation” in terms of RTL’s share price performance, it said. The variable consideration can be triggered by Comcast, Sky’s parent company, at any time within five years after closing, provided that RTL Group’s share price exceeds €41.
RTL said it expects €250M of annual synergies within three years after closing. It added that the pro-forma revenue in 2024 of the combined company was €4.6B, with approximately 45% of the total revenue coming from subscription-based revenue. Subs will number 11.5 million once the deal closes. RTL said the transaction is its biggest since launching in 2000.
Sky Deutschland CEO Barny Mills will continued to lead the Sky Deutschland business until the transaction is completed. Stephan Schmitter will stay in his current role as CEO of RTL Deutschland until closing of the transaction and then lead the combined company.
RTL will fully acquire Sky’s businesses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland incorporating Sky’s sports and entertainment. Under a separate trademark license agreement, RTL will have the right to use the Sky brand in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol. RTL will acquire Sky Deutschland’s streaming brand WOW as part of the transaction.
Rumors had abound that Sky Deutschland was on the block since it pulled out of scripted originals two years back. The German arm used to make the likes of Das Boot and Babylon Berlin.
Headquartered in Luxembourg, RTL owns networks, a streaming service and Normal People indie Fremantle. It is on the verge of selling RTL Nederland to DPG Media for the far higher figure of €1.1B. RTL has also rumored to be one of the outfits interested in buying the UK’s ITV.
The Sky transaction has now been approved by the RTL board and will be subject to regulatory approvals. Sky still runs operations in the UK and Italy.
Thomas Rabe, CEO of RTL Group, said: “The combination of RTL and Sky is transformational for RTL Group. It will bring together two of the most powerful entertainment and sports brands in Europe and create a unique video proposition across free TV, pay TV and streaming. Together, RTL and Sky will be in an even stronger position to invest in people, content and technology in Germany and in Europe to compete with the global tech and streaming players. I want to recognise the outstanding work of the Sky Deutschland team, whose strong performance over recent years has laid the foundation for this next phase.”
Dana Strong, Group CEO at Sky, added: “Sky Deutschland has made significant progress over the past three years, delivering strong operational performance and reaching a record number of customers. The business is on track to achieve EBITDA break-even, reflecting the success of our turnaround plan. Combining the strength of our brand with RTL builds on that momentum and opens up even greater opportunities. This deal provides a strong platform for long-term success, and ensures Sky continues to share in the growth of the combined business.”
PJT Partners served as advisor to Comcast on the transaction.
