RTL Netherlands Acquires Majority Stake in Pay VOD Platform

HILVERSUM: RTL Netherlands has purchased a majority stake in Videoland, a Dutch SVOD platform owned by The Entertainment Group.

RTL Netherlands moves to the forefront of the Dutch VOD landscape with its 65-percent share in Videoland. The platform will continue to operate independently in the VOD market. Netflix previously announced its intention to bring its pay VOD streaming platform to the Netherlands starting in September.

Bert Habets, the CEO of RTL Nederland, commented: “We see this acquisition as a logical next step in the development of our on-demand offer. RTL Nederland is currently undergoing a digital transformation. The business-to-business model driven by advertising remains RTL’s most important source of income. At the same time, we are seeing steady growth in the business-to-consumer business model involving paid services. Our VOD and ventures activities are the best examples of this. Moreover, we have noticed that consumers are now more willing to pay for the right offer. So this acquisition thus puts us in the right spot at the right time.”

Arno Otto, the managing director of digital media at RTL Nederland, added: “At this point Videoland is only a pay-per-view service. This autumn we will introduce the country’s first all-you-can-watch subscription. The consumer will profit directly from our on-going investments in Dutch film rights and also in the exploitation of rights to our Dutch and international series and programs. This new service, paired with our VOD platform RTL XL, enables us to offer a service unmatched on the Dutch market.”

Co Mast, the general director of TEG, said: “Videoland is already the number one service on the market and we want to further develop its solid base with the strength of RTL. We are already strongly associated with home consumption and thanks to this deal we will be able to increase Videoland’s library—which is considered one of the most comprehensive in the Netherlands—with RTL’s hit programs and shows and also with the extensive film catalogue RTL has managed to create in recent years.”