RTL receives final approval for Sky acquisition with the help of Freshfields

Global law firm Freshfields has advised RTL Group on gaining an unconditional antitrust approval from the European Commission for the planned acquisition of Sky Deutschland. RTL Group and Sky Group/Comcast will now finalize the transaction, which is expected to close on 1 June 2026.

RTL Group first announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Sky Deutschland (DACH) on 27 June 2025.  The transaction brings together two of the most recognizable media brands in the DACH region. Freshfields was already advisor to the transaction, see press release Freshfields advises RTL on the acquisition of Sky Deutschland from 2 July 2025.

The Freshfields team advising RTL Group on the recent EC antitrust review regarding Sky comprised:

Lead: Partner Frank Röhling (Antitrust, Berlin/Paris), Partner Merit Olthoff (Antitrust, Brussels/Berlin)

Partners: Ilka Oberländer (Antitrust, Munich), Maria Dreher-Lorjé (Antitrust Vienna/Brussels), Theresa Ehlen (Commercial/IP/IT, Media Regulatory), Gregor von Bonin (Corporate/M&A), Ulrich Sittard (Employment Law, all Düsseldorf)

Counsel: Bertrand Guérin (Berlin/Silicon Valley), Mariusz Motyka-Mojkowski (Berlin, both Antitrust)

Associates: Fabian Bickel (Munich/London), Helena Haag (Berlin), Dina Madadi, Lukas Goetz (both Brussels), Christopher Sickinger (Berlin), Richard Dreßler (Brussels), Manuel Erman (Berlin), Nicolas Dewitte Langenfeld (Brussels), Christoph Wanek, Ludwig Pacher-Theinburg (both Vienna, all Antitrust)

Senior Legal Project Manager: Katharina Steinhorst (Düsseldorf)

Inhouse RTL Deutschland: Maximilian Orgonyi (Chief Transformation Officer), Ralph Sammeck (General Counsel RTL)