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Leonine Holding: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Common questions
When was Tele München GmbH founded and by whom?
Tele München GmbH was founded on the 27th of April 1970 by author and producer Walter Ulbrich in Munich. Their first production was an adaptation of Jack London's novel The Sea Wolf.
Who purchased Tele München Group in 1977 and what strategy did they pursue?
Herbert Kloiber and his business partner Fritz Buttenstedt purchased Tele München Group in 1977. They pursued a vertical integration strategy to control the entire lifecycle of a film from production to distribution to exhibition.
When did Tele München Group rebrand to Leonine and what were the new divisions?
Tele München Group announced its rebranding to Leonine in September 2019. The new company established three main divisions: Distribution, Production, and Licensing.
What major acquisition did KKR make involving Tele München Group in 2019?
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) agreed to purchase Tele München Group in February 2019. The deal included their world sales division Tele München International and various film and television subsidiaries.
When did Leonine Holding acquire Toon2Tango and what was the outcome?
Leonine Holding announced the acquisition of a 25 percent minority stake in Toon2Tango in October 2022. By the 18th of December 2023, they launched Leonine Animation Studios GmbH to gain full control of the animation producer.
Which company acquired the remaining stakes of Leonine in April 2024?
Leonine Holding
On the 27th of April 1970, a small production company named Tele München GmbH was founded in Munich by author and producer Walter Ulbrich with a singular mission to create programming for German public television. Their very first production was an adaptation of Jack London's classic novel The Sea Wolf, a project that would set the tone for decades of storytelling to come. This humble beginning would eventually evolve into a media empire that now dominates the German film and television landscape. The company was purchased in 1977 by Herbert Kloiber and his business partner Fritz Buttenstedt, marking the beginning of a new era of aggressive expansion and strategic acquisitions. In 1980, the company launched its own theatrical distribution subsidiary, Concorde Filmverleih, to bring movies to German cinemas nationwide. A year later, in 1981, they acquired several movie theaters in Hamburg, Berlin, and Braunschweig, giving them direct control over the exhibition side of the business. This vertical integration strategy allowed them to control the entire lifecycle of a film, from production to distribution to exhibition. The company also ventured into broadcasting, becoming a partner at the television station Sat.1 in 1985, though they sold their shares after just one year to start their own TV station, musicbox. In the same year, they took over the Munich private radio station Radio Xanadu, which was later renamed to Radio Energy. These early moves laid the groundwork for a company that would become a powerhouse in the German media industry.
The Golden Age of Broadcasting Partnerships
The late 1980s and 1990s were a period of intense growth and strategic partnerships for Tele München Group. In 1987, Silvio Berlusconi's company Fininvest acquired 50 percent of musicbox, which became the basis for the channel Tele 5. This partnership was a significant step in expanding their reach into the television market. In 1988, Axel Springer Publishing House and CLT became partners at TMG, further solidifying their position in the industry. In 1989, 50 percent of the company was sold to Capital Cities / ABC, a move that brought international attention to the German media landscape. In 1991, TMG sold its shares in Tele 5 to the Axel Springer Publishing House, and in 1992, they founded the TV channel RTL II together with CLT, Bertelsmann, Bauer Media Group, and The Walt Disney Company. This collaboration was a testament to the company's ability to form alliances with some of the biggest names in media. In 1995, the television station Tm3 was founded by TMG and the Bauer Media Group. In 1996, Herbert Kloiber bought back the TMG shares from Capital Cities / ABC, and took over the shares of Bauer Media Group on Tm3. In 1997, TMG participated in the Hungarian private broadcaster TV2, expanding their influence beyond Germany. In 1998, Rupert Murdoch's company News Corporation took over 66 percent of Tm3, and two years later, in 2000, took over Tm3 completely. These partnerships and acquisitions were not just about expanding market share; they were about building a network of relationships that would allow TMG to thrive in a rapidly changing media environment. The company's ability to navigate these complex partnerships was a key factor in its success.
French media production and distribution conglomerate Mediawan entered an agreement to acquire the remaining stakes of Leonine in April 2024. The all-stock transaction was pending approval from German authorities.
In February 2019, a major turning point in the company's history occurred when New York-based American global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) agreed to purchase German production and distribution group Tele München Group. This acquisition included their world sales division Tele München International and its film, television, and home entertainment subsidiaries Concorde Filmverleih, Concorde Home Entertainment, their 85 percent stake in German production company Odeon Film, their own production subsidiary Clasart Film- und Fernsehproduktions, and their stakes in German television channels RTL II and Tele 5. The deal was expected to close in April 2019, with Fred Kogel's appointment as CEO taking effect, while Herbert Kloiber's son, Herbert L. Kloiber, continued to serve Tele München's production subsidiaries. Four days later, KKR expanded their German operations by announcing that they had agreed to purchase leading German film production and distribution company Universum Film along with two SVOD channels from their local broadcasting company RTL Group and its German division Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. The intent was to combine the two companies into a new German-based entertainment production and distribution company, with Bernhard zu Castell continuing to lead the acquired company as their CEO. In late-March 2019, one month after the acquisition, Tele München Group was further expanded when their new parent company KKR announced that they had acquired Cologne-based German entertainment television production company i&u TV, with i&u TV's founder and top television presenter Günther Jauch continuing to run the acquired company. One month later, in April of that same year, following KKR's acquisition, Tele München Group was further expanded when their parent company KKR announced that they had acquired Munich-based German film production company Wiedemann & Berg Film. Wiedemann & Berg would continue its TV arm, W&B Television, as a joint venture with Endemol Shine Germany. In September 2019, the enlarged film and television, entertainment production, and distribution powerhouse Tele München Group announced that they were rebranding themselves with a new name, Leonine, with three main divisions: Distribution, Production, and Licensing. This rebranding marked a new chapter in the company's history, signaling a shift towards a more integrated and diversified media company.
The Expansion into Animation and International Markets
In July 2020, Leonine Holding announced that it had sold its German free-to-air entertainment channel Tele 5 to American multinational mass media broadcasting company Discovery Inc. (now Warner Bros. Discovery) under their German division Discovery Deutschland to focus on its growing production and distribution activities. This decision was part of a broader strategy to streamline operations and focus on core competencies. In December 2020, Leonine Holding and their division Leonine Studios announced that they had acquired Munich-based German light entertainment television production company SEO Entertainment, which became part of Leonine's expanded portfolio. SEO Entertainment remained an independent company under Leonine Studios's division Leonine Production, with its managing director, Gillad Osterer, continuing to run the company and reporting to Leonine's CEO, Fred Kogel. In July 2021, Leonine Holding, along with French audiovisual production and distribution company Mediawan, announced a rebranding of their joint venture production division to Mediawan & Leonine Studios. This partnership marked Leonine Holding's first entry into the British television market and the English-language operations, with Drama Republic founders and CEOs Greg Brenman and Roanna Benn continuing to lead Drama Republic. In March 2022, Leonine Studios announced that they were restructuring their German-based unscripted television production label by rebranding Odeon Entertainment to Madame Zheng Production. The rebranded company hired former RedSeven Entertainment executive and co-head of entertainment at Leonine Studios, Tina Wagner, along with former Red Arrow Studios producer and co-head of entertainment at Leonine, Nina Etspüler, to take over as leadership of the rebranded company. In May 2022, Leonine Holding announced that their division Leonine Studios had acquired Berlin-based independent entertainment outfit Hyperbole Median, expanding Leonine's film and television production capabilities. In October 2022, Leonine Holding announced that they had acquired a 25 percent minority stake in Munich-based children's animation production and distribution studio Toon2Tango, marking the first time Leonine entered the animation production industry. This acquisition gave Leonine its own animation subsidiary, adding development and production of animation IPs to their distribution division. Since October 2023, Leonine started distributing home media releases from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, further expanding their international reach.
The Mediawan Merger and Future Horizons
On the 18th of December 2023, Leonine Studios, which had held a 25 percent minority stake in Munich-based animation production and distribution unit Toon2Tango one year prior, announced that they were launching their own in-house animation production studio division named Leonine Animation Studios GmbH. This move gave them full control of Munich animation producer and distributor Toon2Tango, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of Leonine Animation Studios. Toon2Tango's founder and managing directors, Hans Ulrich Stoef and Jo Daris, continued to lead Toon2Tango through Leonine's animation division. In March 2024, Leonine, along with its division Leonine Studios, announced that they had expanded its production division into the non-scripted genre, launching a new documentaries production division named Leonine Documentaries. Former Constantin Film executive Jochen Koestler became the president of the newly launched documentaries division. In April 2024, it was announced that French media production and distribution conglomerate Mediawan, which already held a 25 percent minority stake in Munich-based German film and television production and distribution company Leonine since 2020, had entered an agreement to acquire the remaining stakes of Leonine and their production companies. The deal, an all-stock transaction for an undisclosed sum, would expand Mediawan into the German production and distribution operations and turn Mediawan into a pan-European film and television production and distribution powerhouse. The acquisition was pending approval from German authorities, and Leonine would retain its name once the acquisition was completed. Founder Fred Kogel would join Mediawan's executive team and continue to head up Leonine's operations. This merger marked a significant milestone in the company's history, signaling a new era of collaboration and growth. In March 2025, one year after Toon2Tango's parent Leonine Studios merged with French media production and distribution company Mediawan back in April 2024, Toon2Tango, alongside Leonine Animation Studios' parent Leonine Studios, announced that they had joined forces with Mediawan's kids and family production division, Mediawan Kids and Family, to integrate the distribution of Toon2Tango's content portfolio into Mediawan Kids and Family's own distribution division. Toon2Tango's future productions would now be distributed under Mediawan Kids and Family distribution services, with Toon2Tango becoming Mediawan Kids and Family's German animation production subsidiary. This integration marked a new chapter in the company's history, showcasing its ability to adapt and evolve in a rapidly changing media landscape.