By Edith Hancock
Broadcasters RTL and Sky Deutschland offered commitments to the European Commission in a bid to get their planned transaction approved by the bloc's merger watchdog.
A spokesperson for the commission said on Monday that the parties had submitted remedies and that the European Union's deadline to end its initial investigation is now April 22.
RTL Group--which is owned by Germany's Bertelsmann--agreed to acquire TV operator Sky Deutschland in June 2025 to strengthen its position in Germany by adding sports rights to its entertainment and news operations. RTL agreed to pay up to 527 million euros ($606.5 million) for Sky Deutschland, the companies said at the time, with an upfront sum of 150 million euros and additional payments capped at 377 million euros linked to share performance.
RTL Group said in a statement it is working with the commission and is confident that the acquisition will be approved and close in the first half of 2026. Sky Deutschland did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The deal comes as media groups are trying to keep up with the rise of streaming platforms globally.
The companies flagged their deal to the EU's competition regulator on Feb. 27, triggering a formal review process.
Write to Edith Hancock at edith.hancock@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-30-26 1006ET
