Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE  
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel,   BELGIË  
 
Tel: +32 229 -91111. Fax: +32 229 -64301. E -mail: COMP -MERGER -REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu . 
  EUROPEAN COMMISSION  
Brussels,  11.7.2022  
C(2022 ) 5064 final 
PUBLIC VERSION  
RTL Group S.A.  
43, Boulevard Pierre Frieden   
L-1543 - Luxembourg  
Luxembourg  
 
Subject : Case  M.10391 -RTL GROUP / TALPA NETWORK  
Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation 
(EC) No 139/20041 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European 
Economic Area2  
Dear Sir or Madam,  
1. On 15 June 2022 , the European Commission received notification of a proposed 
concentration pursuant to Article 4  of the Merger  Regulation , and following a partial 
referral to the Netherlands pursuant to Article 4(4) of the Merger Regulation,3 by 
which  RTL Group S.A. (“RTL Group”), controlled by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, 
(“Bertelsm ann”)  will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b)  of the Merger 
Regulation sole control over the whole of Talpa Network B.V. (“Talpa Network”), 
controlled by Mr. John de Mol  by way of contract or any other means .4 
2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned  are the following : 
 RTL Group  is a Luxembourg -based media company with TV channels and radio 
stations in several EU Member States including the Netherlands. It is active on all 
levels of the audiovisual value chain. It is controlled b y Bertelsmann, which is a 
German company active in the media, services and education sectors,  
                                                 
1 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 ( the ‘Merger Regulation ’). With effect from 1 December 2009,  the Treaty on 
the Functioning of the European Union ( ‘TFEU ’) has introduced certain changes, such as the 
replacement of ‘Community ’ by ‘Union ’ and ‘common market ’ by ‘internal market ’. The terminology 
of the TFEU will be used throughout this decision.  
2  OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p.  3 (the ‘EEA Agreement ’). 
3  The partial referral to the Netherlands includes  the activities defined as the “Netherlands AV/TV 
Transaction”  in the decision of the Commission dated 29 September 2021, M.10391 – RTL GROUP  / 
TALPA NETWORK  pursuant to Article 4(4) of the Merger Regulation . 
4  Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 241,24.06.2022 , p.29. 

2  Talpa Network  is a Netherlands -based media company with subsidiaries in the 
Netherlands that broadcast TV and radio channels, that operate various online 
platform s and that publish magazines and games.  
3. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that 
the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger  Regulation  and of 
paragraph 5(c) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of 
certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 .5 
4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European 
Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it 
compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is 
adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger  Regulation  and Article 57 of 
the EEA Agre ement . 
For the Commission  
 
 
(Signed)  
Olivier GUERSENT  
Director -General  
 
                                                 
5  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5 .