RTL completes sale of Belgian unit

RTL Group has closed the sale of Belgian unit RTL Belgium to the local media companies DPG Media and Groupe Rossel.

RTL said the sale is in line with the group’s strategy to drive consolidation in the European TV industry to build national cross-media champions. The transaction was approved by the Belgian competition authority on March 29.

The total cash proceeds from the transaction for RTL amount to €250 million. The company said that shareholders will benefit from the transaction in line with the stated dividend policy.

RTL Group assumed full ownership of RTL Belgium in December 2020, having spent 33 years as its majority shareholder.

RTL Belgium comprises channels RTL TVI, Club RTL and Plug RTL, radio stations Bel RTL and Radio Contact, streaming service RTLplay, news portal RTL Info and ad sales outfit IP.

DPG Media and Groupe Rossel will each own 50% of RTL Belgium going forwards.

Bernard Marchant, CEO Groupe Rossel said: “A change of shareholders is an important step for a company. Our project for RTL Belgium is ambitious and proactive. The strong and complementary partnership that we have with DPG Media gives the RTL Belgium teams the opportunity to seize opportunities and to exploit them in a rapidly changing media landscape. We are very pleased to be able to get going.”

Kris Vervaet, CEO DPG Media Belgium said: “We are looking forward to sharing our passion and expertise with our colleagues at RTL Belgium. DPG Media has invested a great deal in digital transformation. We can now make that knowledge and those tools available to RTL Belgium. The need for a cross-media and digital offering for both consumers and advertisers is growing rapidly, both in the North and in the South of the country. Here we can join forces to make RTL Belgium’s offerings and brands even stronger, and to grow further in a rapidly changing media world.”

Philippe Delusinne, CEO RTL Belgium said: “Just like my entire management team, I am very pleased to be able to welcome the new shareholders today. Thanks to convergences and synergies that we are now jointly going to develop with DPG Media Group and Groupe Rossel, we will be able to effectuate faster adjustments that are crucial to meeting the challenges facing our industry. I would like to thank our partners at RTL Group for their trust and for the results we have achieved through them: all our media are thriving. A new road lies ahead for RTL Belgium: we are ready!”