Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11540 – GAMMA / KARL ROYER / RHO / HEKTAR MEDIA) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2024-05-02
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Austria, advertising, audiovisual industry, banking, economic concentration, farming sector, film industry, holding company, mass media, merger control








C_202403026EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/3026


2.5.2024






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11540 – GAMMA / KARL ROYER / RHO / HEKTAR MEDIA)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2024/3026)


1.   
On 23 April 2024, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Karl Royer GmbH (Austria), controlled by Mr. Karl Royer,










—


Gamma Film GmbH (‘Gamma’, Austria), belonging to the group Beta Film GmbH (Germany),










—


Raiffeisen-Holding Niederösterreich-Wien registrierte Genossenschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (‘RHO’, Austria),










—


hektar Media GmbH (‘hektar’ or ‘JV’, Austria) controlled by Karl Royer GmbH.




Karl Royer GmbH, Gamma and RHO will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of hektar.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


Karl Royer GmbH is the holding company through which Mr. Karl Royer holds his interests in hektar and in stoff agency GmbH, an advertising agency in Austria. Mr. Karl Royer, Karl Royer GmbH and its affiliates are generally only active in Austria,










—


Gamma is a producer of audiovisual content, and Beta Film GmbH is a film and television group, which has its main focus in Germany but also operates across the EU and internationally,










—


RHO is a holding cooperative with holdings in the agricultural, banking, media and infrastructure sectors, which has its main focus in Austria but also operates across the EU and internationally,










—


hektar is an advertising agency in Austria focusing on advertising in the form of video and online content on issues of rural life.






3.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.11540 – GAMMA / KARL ROYER / RHO / HEKTAR MEDIA
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  
            OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  
            OJ C 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/3026/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)