RTL continues Euro buying spree

European broadcast group RTL has made several major channel acquisitions in Hungary, adding to this week’s activity in Holland and Croatia.

The broadcaster has acquired the 31% of market-leading channel RTL Klub it didn’t already own and taken full control of seven cable TV channels, namely Cool, Film+, Film+2, Reflektor, Prizma, Sorozat+ and Muzsika TV.

The deal with local partner IKO Group – financial terms of which were not discussed – is subject to regulatory approval.

This latest move comes in a busy week for RTL, which today agreed to buy the 26% of RTL Nederland it doesn’t already own, from Talpa Media. This allowed the Dutch producer to go ahead with its joint takeover of SBS in Holland together with Finnish firm Sanoma.

On Monday, RTL bought up the remaining 26% of RTL Hrvatska (RTL Croatia) it didn’t already own from local partners Atlantic and Agrokor.

RTL’s executive VP if regional operations and business development for Central and Eastern Europe Andreas Rudas said “ongoing audience fragmentation in the Hungarian TV market” meant the purchase was essential to the group’s position as market leader.

“This transaction gives RTL Group the opportunity to implement its tried-and-tested strategy in Hungary: we will gain full control of our strong flagship RTL Klub and can now rapidly build a complementary family of channels,” he added.

RTL will continue to work with IKO in areas such as production with IKO boss Tamás Rákosi remaining on the board of Magyar RTL, the operator that controls RTL Klub.

Earlier this year, Luxembourg-based RTL struck out into India through a joint venture with Reliance Broadcast Network. The company is also understood to be exploring channel acquisitions in the US.