How CEO Andreas Bartl is strengthening the RTL II

week 20 / 13 May 2015
MORE DIVERSE,
MORE DIGITAL
How CEO Andreas Bartl is strengthening
the RTL II brand in today’s digital world
Luxembourg
United Kingdom
Celebrating
60 years of
television
Britain’s Got Talent is
the UK’s most watched
programme of 2015
to date
Germany
IP Deutschland presented
its new structure
week 20 / 13 May 2015
MORE DIVERSE,
MORE DIGITAL
How CEO Andreas Bartl is strengthening
the RTL II brand in today’s digital world
Luxembourg
United Kingdom
Celebrating
60 years of
television
Britain’s Got Talent is
the UK’s most watched
programme of 2015
to date
Germany
IP Deutschland presented
its new structure
Cover
Andreas Bartl, CEO RTL II
© RTL II
Publisher
RTL Group
45, Bd Pierre Frieden
L-1543 Luxembourg
Editor, Design, Production
RTL Group
Corporate Communications & Marketing
before yo
ink
up
Th
t
rin
backstage.rtlgroup.com
backstage.rtlgroup.fr
backstage.rtlgroup.de
QUICK VIEW
Gracing the airwaves
for 60 years
RTL Group
p.10–11
“In essence, we present
young German television”
RTL II
A season-long
celebratory Idol
p.4–9
FremantleMedia
North America
p.12–13
And you think you
have seen it all? This is
only the beginning...
Building a new
tomorrow today
FremantleMedia UK
IP Deutschland
p.15
p.14
More subtitles!
Mediengruppe RTL
Deutschland
p.16
Lagardère unlimited
acquires UFA Sports
UFA Sports
p.17
Big Picture
p.18
SHORT
NEWS
p.19–20
Backstage interviewed
Andreas Bartl about his
first year at RTL II, the
new programme
line-up, and RTL II’s
digital future.
“IN ESSENCE,
WE PRESENT YOUNG
GERMAN TELEVISION”
Germany – 13 May 2015
© RTL II
RTL II
“Broadcasters with a lot of internally produced programming can of course simply play them across multiple platforms,” says Andreas Bartl
4
Andreas Bartl has been back in the executive chair
of a German TV channel for almost a year. “I am
glad to be back in the TV business,” he says. Bartl
took over the management of RTL II in June 2014.
He is pleased about running a company that he
says is one of the largest independent commercial
channels: “I really enjoy running a stand-alone
company. There is a lot going on here. And I want to
make things happen.”
The TV landscape is increasingly fragmenting,
with established and new small and niche
channels competing for audience and advertising
market shares, all while the overall reach of
linear television is slowly decreasing. “RTL II is still
the least affected by this development. This gives
us a good starting position to increase awareness
of our content brands beyond linear TV,” underlines
Bartl.
To make things happen requires not only good
content but also a great team. “And this is exactly
what we have in the Grünwald district of Munich,”
adds Bartl.
It is particularly valuable that RTL II has traditionally
had a very high proportion of in-house productions
in its portfolio. “Broadcasters with a lot of internally
produced programming can of course simply play
them across multiple platforms,” stresses Bartl.
RTL II is also already producing original content
for the web, namely videos for the Facebook
pages of Berlin – Tag und Nacht (Berlin
Day And Night) and Köln 50667 (Cologne
50667), for the Youtube channel of Grip – Das
Motormagazin, as well as other short-form content
for RTL2.de and Hbb TV.
RTL II stands for young and innovative television,
distinguished not only by its popular US series
like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, but
primarily by its numerous German productions. “In
essence, we present young German television and
this is what we want to continue to do, and even
strengthen our positioning,” explains Bartl.
© RTL II
RTL II boosts its digital footprint
Berlin – Tag und Nacht
© RTL II
Game of Thrones
The Walking Dead
Köln 50667
For the manager, this mainly means putting more of
a strategic focus on digitisation than before. RTL II’s
formats and faces will be systematically extended
onto new digital platforms. “This will strengthen the
RTL II brand especially among target groups that
tend to watch less TV,” says Bartl. At the same time,
this is the channel’s response to another challenge
faced by the entire industry fragmentation.
Bartl always focuses on the content quality: “I believe
that the competition for viewers is fought with quality
and creativity – just as in linear TV, where we must
also continue to position ourselves well and continue
to evolve over the years,” says the RTL II CEO,
who says that among TV channels, RTL II is “in pole
position” with its young and very online-savvy
audience.
Next >
5
Meike, one of the famous face from Köln 50667,
gives glimpses into her life on Pia macht Kirmes
RTL II recently launched two Youtube channels: on
Pia macht Kirmes, followers can watch Meike, one
of the famous faces from the daily soap Köln 50667,
giving glimpses into her colourful world. The second
Youtube channel Steffen geht steil focuses on Max
from Berlin – Tag and Nacht, who slips into various
comedy roles and entertains subscribers, as he
himself says, with “infantile behaviour and absurd,
bad jokes, for free – and what’s worse, you can
watch and hear it!”
© VICE Media
© RTL II
In this connection, in mid-April RTL II announced
a collaboration with the young, international
content producer Vice Media. RTL II has started
broadcasting the highlights from the Emmy-winning
Vice on HBO in a weekly magazine show, and Vice
Germany will also produce exclusive reportage
and documentaries for RTL II. Likewise, the new
magazine Echtzeit will be exploring new paths in its
topic-setting and audience approach.
Since April RTL II and Vice Media work together
and focus on different topics in their reports
Local prime-time drama and international series
© RTL II
Besides his digital offensive, Andreas Bartl is
also stepping on the gas with regard to the TV
programme line-up. For the first time in years,
RTL II will show drama produced in-house during
prime-time. One of the projects in the pipeline is
Life is a beach, a Berlin – Tag and Nacht spin-off that
retells Meike and Marcel’s love story in the evening
programme line-up.
According to CEO Bartl, a mini-series with a
science background jointly developed with producer
Ivo Beck is a “top event of the programme season.”
The theme is modern-day Neanderthals.
Moreover, RTL II is working with Marc Conrad and
Conrad Film to adapt the Dutch format The Godless.
It will be broadcast in Germany as Gottlos – Warum
Menschen töten.
Steffen geht steil – the second successful Youtube channel
of RTL II
In addition to these two Youtubers, Bartl points out
that there are also plans to develop independent
characters online that are not directly related to
RTL II formats. The most important thing is that they
must fit RTL II and contribute to the brand. “We have
to be where a large part of the young target group
spends its time,” underlines Bartl.
Fans of US series will also continue to tune in RTL II
in order to watch their preferred content. “We have
bought great series and The Quest – Die Serie is
definitely one of them. It’s one of the most successful
US series launches of recent months,” adds Bartl,
himself a big fan of series.
Next >
6
© Electric Entertainment
Hbb TV is also an increasingly important channel for
RTL II. The Hbb TV relaunch tops the agenda right
now. In Bartl’s words: “There will be new, original
Hbb TV offers and we hope this will help us
increasingly make inroads on the competition.”
Customers who have already run Hbb TV campaigns
on RTL II include H&M, Netflix and the games
producer Activision.
The Quest – Die Serie is one of the new highlights on RTL II
© Sony Pictures Television
Other additions are the zombie series Z-Nation,
the fifth and final season of Falling Skies, and
Chosen. Bartl is particularly pleased about the latter
series, which was originally produced for the Sony
platform Crackle. “It is a very innovative series, and
as a viewer you are immediately caught up in the
story. And that is what counts. We want to have the
exceptional series,” highlights Bartl, explaining the
philosophy behind the programme selection.
Innovatively interactive
RTL II Digital
RTL2.de1
8.4 million page impressions
1.2 million unique users
RTL II Now (Mediathek)1
23.6 million page impressions
930,000 unique users
14.1 million video views2
Facebook
More than 10 Facebook profiles
(including RTL II News, Berlin – Tag und
Nacht, Köln 50667, Die Kochprofis,
Die Geissens, Der Trödeltrupp, Traumfrau
gesucht, X-Diaries)
Over 9.8 million likes within the portfolio
(as of January 2015)
German Award for Online Communication
2013 and 2014
Chosen was produced for the Sony platform Crackle
and will be broadcast on RTL II
Fun and always one step ahead
With regard to the expansion of the diversity of
genres, he is always talking with his team about
whether the slogan “it’s fun” still fits RTL II. “At the
moment it still fits well enough. The motivation of
having fun, seeking entertainment and watching
RTL II to do so is by no means wrong,” says Bartl.
“We can live pretty comfortably with these
motivations, but the broadcasting landscape is
changing and we, too, are continually evolving. The
only constant at RTL II has always been to be one
step ahead, in a surprising way and at the right time.
That is part of the channel’s DNA, and that is what
makes it so much fun here.”
Mobile apps3
Berlin – Tag und Nacht / Köln 50667
(for smartphone + tablet, iOS/Android/
Windows Phone)
111,000/70,000 unique users
1.00/0.79 million video views per month
1.95/1.19 million downloads to date
Hbb TV 4 625,000 page impressions per month
(and rising)
1 Source: AGOF Internet facts 2015-01 Ø month; IVW
Online 01/2015
2 Source: own data collection/RTL interactive, January
2015
3 Source: own survey (as of January 2015). AGOF
mobile facts 2014-IV.
4 Source: own data collection, as of May 2014, includes
start menu views, video views and other views
Next >
7
An attractive point of contact
It is not only the viewers who are currently being
offered many new things on RTL II; industry
professionals now also have an attractive point
of contact with the new RTL II corporate website
http://info.rtl2.de/. “A website like this is a company’s
audio-visual business card. As the saying goes,
‘You never get a second chance to make a first
impression,’” explains Bartl.
The website gives business partners, customers
and potential employees a first impression of the
company’s activities. “The website communicates
the RTL II feeling very nicely.” It contains extensive
information about the company, its strategy,
structures and communications activities, as well as
career opportunities.
Look and feel of their corporate website info.rtl2.de
A TV EXPERT BACK ON FAMILIAR TERRAIN
In addition to football, the native Heidelberger likes
watching unusual, quality TV, including Arte documentaries
and US series: “I could hardly wait for the next episodes of
Game of Thrones or Homeland.” Bartl also likes web series
that stand out through innovative new forms of storytelling.
“In summary, you could say that it’s a colourful mix of all
genres, but often I just don’t have time to be able to follow
something closely.”
© RTL II
Andreas Bartl began his media career in 1990 at Pro Sieben,
where he helped to manage the programme line-up
and worked as Head of Programming until 2000.
Afterwards, Bartl became Managing Director of Kabel Eins,
and from 2005 to 2008 he was Managing Director of Pro
Sieben. In 2012, he became Managing Director Television at
Pro Sieben Sat.1 Media AG. From 2012 until he joined
RTL II, Andreas Bartl worked as a freelance media
entrepreneur.
Andreas Bartl, CEO of RTL II,
is now back on familiar terrain
Next >
8
RTL II first went on air at 06:09 on 6 March 1993, with Gerhard Zeiler as Managing Director. The following year, the
channel moved from Cologne to Bavaria studios in Munich. Big Brother, the music show The Dome and the talent
show Popstars all premiered on RTL II. Today the company has its headquarters in the Grünwald district of Munich.
In early 2015, RTL II News moved its newsroom from Cologne to Berlin. RTL II employs a total of 230 people.
RTL Group has a 35.9 per cent stake in RTL II and therefore holds the largest share of the four shareholders
(Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG, Tele München Fernseh GmbH & Co. Medienbeteiligung KG and Burda GmbH). Anke
Schäferkordt is Chair of the RTL II Shareholders’ Meeting.
TV advertising time on RTL II is sold by El Cartel Media. IP Deutschland markets the online advertising space on
RTL2.de, RTL2-spiele.de, RTL II Now and Hbb TV. El Cartel Media is responsible for cross-media campaigns linked
to TV, which it designs and then implements in collaboration with IP Deutschland.
You want to jo
in the world
of RTL II and it
s series?
RTL II’s Faceb
o
is just a click awok page
ay
9
GRACING THE AIRWAVES FOR 60 YEARS
RTL Group
On 14 May 1955, Charlotte, Grand Duchess of
Luxembourg, presided over the official opening
of Télé Luxembourg’s brand new premises in
Dudelange. The channel’s launch was attended
by a long list of venerable guests and followed
by the transmission of an inaugural broadcast
from the Villa Louvigny, marking the start of
regular programmes aired by the Luxembourg
channel.
Luxembourg – 13 May 2015
photo by Pol Aschman © Photothèque de la Ville de Luxembourg
Yes, the Group’s adventure in television really began 60 years ago
with the launch of daily broadcasts from Luxembourg on 14 May 1955.
Just a few months before that, on 23 January 1955 to be precise, as
previously reported on Backstage, CLT gave the green light to air a
first, experimental programme.
The day of Télé Luxembourg’s launch started with Grand Duchess
Charlotte inaugurating the transmitting station, high up on Ginzeberg
Hill overlooking Dudelange. Surrounded by a horde of VIP guests, in
his inaugural speech Émile Reuter, the President of Luxembourg’s
Chamber of Deputies and Chairman of the Board of CLT, stressed
that the mission of Télé Luxembourg was to serve the Grand Duchy’s
interests. Reuter was convinced that television would become a
firm fixture in families’ daily lives. A speech by CEO Robert Tabouis
explaining what had prompted the launch of the French-speaking
channel was followed by a blessing given by Léon Lommel, the
Coadjutor Bishop of Luxembourg.
Grand Duchess Charlotte and Mathias Felten
at the inauguration of the broadcasting centre
in Dudelange
The
inauguration
ceremony
was
followed
by
an
evening of festive programmes broadcast live from the
Villa Louvigny in the presence of Crown Princesses
Marie-Adélaïde and Elisabeth of Luxembourg. A variety programme
called Étoiles dans le ciel (Stars in the Sky) starring the celebrated
French actress and singer Line Renaud, formed the centrepiece of four
full hours of great entertainment, featuring performances by a long list
of stars from Radio Luxembourg, including the unmissable Zappy Max,
all caught on Télé Luxembourg’s cameras.
Next >
10
That same evening, 40 French journalists gathered
in Metz to watch the inaugural broadcast on
receivers set up in the Hotel Royal, and were blown
away by what the channel’s impressive debut. André
Brincourt, a journalist at Le Figaro, commented as
follows: “Let us acknowledge here and now that this
great first broadcast was the fruit of tremendous
efforts made by everyone involved, for in television
artists and technicians all depend on one another”.
So it had been a promising start for the channel.
With a range of roughly 150 km, including the
Lorraine region and part of Wallonia in Belgium, Télé Luxembourg was
able to reach more than four million viewers who revelled in the chance
to watch 30 hours of programmes a week. And that was just the start
of CLT’s adventure in the world of television!
© photo by Pol Aschman
Line Renaud during Télé Luxembourg’s inaugural broadcast
That historic channel, which began transmitting 60 years ago, was
the forerunner of the Group’s current channels: RTL 9, RTL-TVI and
RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg.
photo by Pol Aschman, © Photothèque de la Ville de Luxembourg
The evening of the channel’s launch in the Villa
Louvigny, with presenter Roger Nicolas
On 3 May 2015, RTL-TVI broadcast a special programme to mark this
60th anniversary. The programme RTL, c’est vous, 60 ans, presented by
Sandrine Corman, told the story of the channel and topped the ratings,
attracting 491,940 viewers.
Encouraged by this success, the VOD platform RTL à l’infini and the
Belgian cable operator Voo teamed up to offer viewers exclusive
access to footage taken from the channel’s first 60 years. The selected
highlights from the channel’s archives consist of more than 80 hours of
television, including cult programmes, the first news broadcasts by Télé
Luxembourg and entertaining shows like 10 qu’on aime, available for
viewers to enjoy on demand until 31 December 2015 inclusive, with a
different theme covered every month.
Coadjutor Bishop Lommel blesses
the brand new facility
11
A SEASON-LONG CELEBRATORY IDOL
FremantleMedia North America
On 11 May 2015, Fox announced that it will begin
its fifteenth and final season of long-running
talent show hit American Idol in January 2016.
American Idol is produced by FremantleMedia
North America and 19 Entertainment.
North America – 13 May 2015
The season-long celebratory event, American Idol XV, will feature host
Ryan Seacrest and judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry
Connick Jr, as they search for the final idol superstar and pay tribute
to the past 14 seasons of talented contestants and the millions of fans
who tweeted, texted and championed their Idols.
The fourteenth season of American Idol is currently on air, with the
winner scheduled to be crowned on 13 May 2015. Over the years,
numerous stars, such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and
Jennifer Hudson, have emerged from this iconic talent show. Firstly
aired in 2002, American Idol was a true global TV phenomenon, which
has pushed boundaries and inspired a whole new generation of talent
shows that have been embraced by millions of viewers around the
world.
Ryan Seacrest, Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr and Keith Urban,
the host and the jury of the final season of American Idol
Next >
12
Entertainment weekly reports that Fox chairmen and CEOs
Gary Newman and Dana Walden fielded many questions
about their decision at the network’s press conference held on 11 May
2015: “You know, it was not an easy decision,” highlighted Newman.
“American Idol has been such a vital part of Fox for its run, and we
spent a lot of time talking with producers about the future of American
Idol and collectively we arrived at the conclusion that it was time to
bring the show to an end. But we wanted to do it in a way that felt
special and celebratory and treated the show the way it deserved to
be treated.” In the same article Dana Walden revealed that the final
season will feature appearances by former judges and contestants.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm around former judges and contestants
coming back,” she added.
Trish Kinane, President Entertainment,
FremantleMedia North America
Cécile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia
Trish Kinane, President Entertainment, FremantleMedia North
America, says: “American Idol revolutionised television when it
launched nearly 14 years ago by enabling fans to engage with the
programme in a groundbreaking way. It has become an iconic part of
American popular culture, and we are incredibly proud of the show and
the great superstars who have emerged from it. Now we are going to
celebrate this unique history with everyone who has graced our stage
and watched our show. We cannot wait to start our search for the final
American Idol. It is going to be an exciting season and a terrific way
to close a chapter on one of the world’s most successful television
programs of all time.”
FremantleMedia CEO, Cécile Frot-Coutaz, also paid tribute to the
show: “It is an amazing achievement for any entertainment series to
be on air for 15 years and I am incredibly proud of the show. However,
we always knew that one day it would come to an end. It is part of the
natural ebb and flow of a programme life cycle, and we wanted to end
American Idol at a time where the show could be celebrated properly.
I am thankful to the brilliant team at Idol and of course Ryan Seacrest
and our Judges – Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick
Jr. We are one of the best companies in the world at developing and
nurturing world class shows. We are committed to building on this
by growing our diverse portfolio to ensure long-term growth for the
company.”
13
BUILDING A NEW TOMORROW TODAY
IP Deutschland
IP Deutschland, the advertising sales house
of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, is
repositioning itself. Its new structure, which
combines advertising sales for TV and online,
was announced on 5 May 2015. The slogan:
IP 2017 – Building A New Tomorrow Today.
Germany – 11 May 2015
Matthias Dang, CEO IP Deutschland
Paul Mudter, new Head of Operations, IP Deutschland
Julian Weiss, Head of Marketing, IP Deutschland
Matthias Dang, CEO of IP Deutschland, presented the new
structure along with his colleagues, Paul Mudter and Julian Weiss.
Based on the strategy of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and its
ambition to be Germany’s leading video provider, IP Deutschland
will take a holistic approach concerning video on all of its platforms.
Matthias Dang explains this step in greater detail in an interview
with DWDL.de: “Looking forward we know that the market for video
advertising sales will change. This is why we are repositioning
ourselves. We think of ourselves as a four-screen advertising sales
house.” In real terms, this means that there will no longer be any
difference between linear TV and online content in the operating
business. “We are consolidating. From now on there will no longer be
any distinction between TV and online at IP Deutschland,” adds Dang
in the same interview.
The official start date for this new structure is 15 June 2015. All
processes and services are being realigned and divided up between
the Sales, Marketing and the newly-created Operations divisions.
“We are completely breaking down workflows,” clarifies Dang in an
interview with Horizont. This of course means there will be some
personnel changes for members of the Executive Team. Starting
in June, Paul Mudter, who is currently in charge of the Interactive
Division, will head up the Operations division, where IP Deutschland
is bundling its intermedia topics, including sales management, service
and technology. In addition to his role as CEO, Matthias Dang will
continue as Head of Sales, where he will be responsible for the Sales
Division. Julian Weiss will remain Head of Marketing.
As IP Deutschland is taking a pioneering role in the German market with
its holistic approach, details are now being discussed with advertising
clients and agencies in order to identify whether this structure already
has a direct counterpart or if individual solutions can be found. “We
know that this puts us one step ahead of the competition. But we need
to be aware of what is going on around us,” Dang tells DWDL.de about
the plan. IP Deutschland will tailor the final details of its restructuring to
its market partners and will remain flexible. “We reflect the organisation
of our agencies and clients and are positioning ourselves in the way
the market expects it,” says Matthias Dang to Horizont.
14
AND YOU THINK YOU HAVE SEEN IT ALL?
THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING…
FremantleMedia UK
According
to
consolidated
data,
the
FremantleMedia UK and Syco Entertainment
production Britain’s Got Talent is the UK’s most
watched programme of 2015 to date.
United Kingdom – 11 May 2015
Whatever you do, just don’t look into Hypnodog’s eyes
On 11 April 2015, the ninth season of Britain’s Got Talent launched on
ITV. Broadcast every Saturday, the long-running hit talent show sees
hopefuls attempting to impress judges David Walliams, Alesha Dixon,
Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell. The show on 25 April achieved
consolidated ratings of 11.9 million viewers, which corresponds to
a 50 per cent share of the audience and means that Britain’s Got
Talent has now risen to the top of the consolidated ratings ahead of the
previous record holder, Eastenders Live, which averaged 11.6 million
viewers. These consolidated audience numbers include viewers who
watch the show live, as well as viewers who tune in at different times.
The third episode of the series, which topped the ratings, saw Simon
Cowell come face to face with Hypnodog, and Amanda Holden
pressing her golden buzzer for Revelation Avenue – a gospel choir
who wowed the judges and audience with a rendition of Katy Perry’s
‘Roar’ – sending them straight through to the live semi-finals.
Watch the performance of
Revelation Avenue which made
Amanda Holden press her golden buzzer
Britain’s Got Talent season nine is so far averaging 10.1 million
viewers, 47 per cent share of viewing, based on live overnights, and
is averaging 11.5 million viewers, that is to say 48 per cent share of
viewing, based on consolidated ratings – making it the highest rating
entertainment show on television.
Britain’s Got More Talent on ITV2 achieved top consolidated ratings
of 1.8 million, making it ITV2’s most watched programme this year.
The ITV2 show hosted by Stephen Mulhern is watched by an average
of 1.7 million viewers, giving it an 8 per cent share of the consolidated
audience, and making it ITV2’s most watched series of 2015.
15
#RTLGivesBack
MORE SUBTITLES!
Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland
Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland is significantly
expanding its subtitled programming. From May,
more and more new formats will be subtitled,
so that as many as two prime-time formats will
be broadcast with subtitles every night.
© RTL / Stefan Gregorowius
Germany – 8 May 2015
Sylvie Meis and Daniel Hartwich – the presenters of Let’s Dance
© Vox/Sony Pictures Television Inc.
In this connection, RTL Television will start providing subtitles for several
live shows as well. The dance show Let’s Dance will be subtitled live
for the first time on 8 May, and will be available with subtitles from that
point on until the final. Other event-scale shows will follow in autumn.
The series Bones – Die Knochenjägerin on Tuesday evenings,
all Sunday movies, and the Uefa European Qualifiers are also part of
RTL Television’s subtitled programme line-up.
Vox will also be offering its audiences optional subtitles including the
Saturday movie feature, both prime-time movies on Thursdays, the
new US fiction Highlight Outlander on Wednesday evenings, and Law
& Order: Special Victims Unit on Friday night.
RTL Nitro will soon be available with subtitles: people with impaired
hearing will, for example, be able to follow the 20:15 episodes of the
crime documentary Medical Detectives.
US fiction series Outlander
The ticker on the N-TV news channel keeps people with impaired
hearing constantly informed about major events. Since late last year,
RTL II has broadcast programming for the hearing-impaired on Fridays,
Saturdays and Sundays, subject to availability. Similarly, Super RTL
airs subtitled programmes during prime-time on Tuesdays, Fridays and
Saturdays.
With these changes, Mediengruppe RTL has expanded its TV offering
for people with impaired hearing by more than 30 per cent compared
to last year.
16
LAGARDÈRE UNLIMITED ACQUIRES UFA SPORTS
UFA Sports
Lagardère Unlimited announced its acquisition
of UFA Sports, the European based sports
marketing subsidiary, from RTL Group.
Germany – 8 May 2015
RTL Group decided to sell UFA Sports as sports marketing is not key
to RTL Group’s future growth strategy across broadcast, content,
digital. The deal is still subject to regulatory approval from the German
competition authorities.
As a subsidiary of Lagardère Unlimited, UFA Sports will continue to
operate its football marketing activities in Germany as a separate
and independent entity within the Lagardère Unlimited network of
businesses. The current management of UFA Sports agreed to stay on
board in full-time roles, with current Managing Director, Philip Cordes,
remaining on board as a consultant.
Andrew Georgiou, Chief Operating Officer of Lagardère Unlimited,
says: “We are delighted to welcome UFA Sports to the Lagardère
Unlimited family. Since its foundation, UFA Sports has grown
significantly and has developed an impressive portfolio of assets that
will complement the existing businesses of Lagardère Unlimited very
well. We are very happy with our agreement with RTL Group and that
the management of UFA Sports has chosen to work with Lagardère
Unlimited and we look forward to continuing to grow our businesses.”
17
Mission
accomplished:
name giving
The RTL-TVI programme Expédition Pairi Daiza
takes viewers to the heart of Belgium’s most
beautiful zoological garden. From 1 to 8 May 2015,
viewers were given the opportunity to vote online
for the name of the baby giraffe born during the
filming of the programme. And the chosen name
is… Esengo, meaning joy in Lingala language.
SHORT NEWS
1/2
Going from strength to strength
FremantleMedia UK
Grand Designs, a production by Boundless, a FremantleMedia UK
label, has won a Bafta award for Best Feature, beating off stiff
competition from other shows, including The Great British Bake Off.
The show made its debut in 1999 and is now in its 14th season.
United Kingdom – 13 May 2015
Hungarian media influencers
RTL Klub
According to Marketing and Media magazine, Gabriella Vidus,
Director of Sales at RTL Hungary and Managing Director of R-Time,
is the most influential person in the Hungarian media industry.
RTL Hungary Programme Director Péter Kolosi is ranked fifth;
RTL Group Vice President Regional Operations and Business
Development CEE and Interim CEO of RTL Hungary Andreas Rudas
is in seventh place; and RTL Klub’s News Director Róbert Kotroczó is
in 29th position.
Hungary – 13 May 2015
A dream team
FremantleMedia Australia
The new line-up for the judging panel on the Australian version of
The X Factor was revealed, with global superstars James Blunt and
Chris Isaak joining one of Australia’s most successful musicians,
Guy Sebastian, as well as iconic Dannii Minogue on the panel.
Australia – 11 May 2015
Strong Nomination for Young Rebels
UFA Fiction
UFA fiction production Wir sind jung, wir sind stark has received
three nominations for the 2015 Deutscher Filmpreis. Along with its
nomination for Best Feature Film, the film is nominated for Best
Cinematography and Best Supporting Actor (Joel Basman).
Germany – 11 May 2015
19
SHORT NEWS
2/2
New Girls go online
RTL Radio
Acquired by RTL Radio (France) in December 2013 as part of the
digital project Renaissance, Girls.fr launched its revamped website
on 12 May 2015. Visit the website here.
France – 13 May 2015
The French television market in April
Groupe M6
In April 2015, M6 achieved a total audience share of 9.5 per cent.
With a 4 per cent audience share among housewives under 50,
W9 had its best month since August 2014, while 6ter is the absolute
leading HD DTT channel for the sixth month in a row, achieving an
audience share of 1.9 per cent in the same group.
France – 13 May 2015
20
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