Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (“Freshfields”) has advised Talpa Holding on the acquisition of a 67 per cent stake in SBS Broadcasting from Sanoma, thereby obtaining full ownership of TV-stations SBS6, NET5, Veronica and SBS9. SBS Broadcasting will complement Talpa Holding in further developing a Dutch multimedia company with strong positions in television, radio, print and online. As part of the transaction, SBS Broadcasting’s stake in the TV guide business Veronica Uitgeverij will be sold to Sanoma. Talpa Holding expects to close the transacton relatively shortly, pending regulatory and other approvals.

Talpa Holding’s owner, Mr. John de Mol, considers this acquisition as an important step towards building a new Dutch multimedia company. Achieving full ownership of SBS Broadcasting represents a unique opportunity as one of only two free-to-air commercial TV groups in the Netherlands. Together with Talpa Radio, SBS will become an important pillar of his new multimedia company.

The Freshfields team was led from Amsterdam by Harald Spruit, and comprised partner Winfred Knibbeler on competition aspects, partner Brechje Nollen on employment aspects, partner Thijs P. Flokstra on finance aspects and counsel Job van der Pol on tax aspects.