RTL withdraws from Nickelodeon deal as Federal Cartel Office blocks project

Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants

German broadcaster RTL Group has withdrawn its bid to takeover US media giant Paramount’s Nickelodeon network in Germany after the local antitrust body blocked the deal.

RTL announced plans in April to replace Nickelodeon with a new free-to-air linear children’s channel, however the deal was subject to the approval of Germany’s Federal Cartel Office.

Germany’s Federal Cartel Office informed RTL and Paramount this week that it intended to prohibit the planned merger on the grounds it would make RTL too dominant a player in the market for advertising targeted at children aged three to 13.

Super RTL wanted to take over Nickelodeon’s established satellite frequency and replace it with the free TV channel Toggo, which would continue to air Nickelodeon programming such as Paw Patrol and SpongeBob SquarePants following a rights deal.

Super RTL currently operates under three different programming slots: Toggolino, which is aimed at preschoolers, Toggo, which is aimed at children, and RTL Super, which is aimed at families and young adults.

The launch of Toggo as a standalone channel would have seen it target children aged between three and 13-years-old, while Paramount would focus its efforts in Germany on its streaming services and pay TV channels.