Luther advises shareholders of Mediengruppe Oberfranken on sale to Mediengruppe Bayern

In view of the increasing economic challenges in the regional media market, the 17 shareholders of Mediengruppe Oberfranken, comprising a total of four founding families, decided to sell to Mediengruppe Bayern, which is currently expanding. The transaction thus secures the long-term stability and competitiveness of traditional regional media brands.

A team from Luther led by Dr Gregor Wecker advised the shareholders on all legal aspects of the transaction. This included, in particular, the structured preparation and negotiation of the purchase agreement, including tax aspects, antitrust advice and the review and structuring of tax and corporate law aspects. ‘The project management and excellent coordination of the legal and tax issues by the Luther team contributed significantly to the success of this complex transaction,’ said Dr Albrecht Tintelnot, Chairman of the Shareholders' Meeting of Mediengruppe Oberfranken, expressing his gratitude.

The Mediengruppe Bayern, based in Passau, which includes the Passauer Neue Presse, the Donaukurier and the Mittelbayerische Zeitung, among others, is acquiring MGO with its daily newspapers Fränkischer Tag, Bayerische Rundschau, Coburger Tageblatt and Saale-Zeitung, as well as the high-reach online portal infranken.de. MGO's trade journal and printing activities will also be fully integrated.

The transaction is still subject to antitrust approval. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

About Mediengruppe Oberfranken:

As a large multimedia company with approximately 2,300 employees at around 20 locations and over 40 brands for business and private customers, Mediengruppe Oberfranken offers its customers a cross-media, user-oriented range of services: from news and content, trade media and marketing to services and delivery services, entertainment and start-up coaching. All this contributes to the successful diversity of Mediengruppe Oberfranken. The local daily newspapers reach more than 230,000 readers every day. The organisation is actively committed to a modern and inclusive work culture. Further information is available at: https://www.mediengruppe-oberfranken.de/

About Mediengruppe Bayern:

With 37 daily titles and 19 advertising journals, Mediengruppe Bayern is one of the largest publishers of regional newspapers in Germany. With a total daily circulation of around 290,000 copies, its daily newspaper titles reach over 885,000 readers in Bavaria.

For Mediengruppe Oberfranken:

Corporate M&A: Dr Gregor Wecker; Philipp Dietz, LL.M.; Dr Ann-Kathrin Jungen

Tax: Nicole Fröhlich; Dr Frank Seidel

Antitrust law: Dr Sebastian Felix Janka, LL.M.; Alexandra Gebauer

IT/data protection: Christian Kuss, LL.M.; Franziska Tilgner

IP: Dr Detlef Mäder; Tobias Schneider

Complex Disputes: Georg Scherpf, Dr Jannik Bel, Luca Thoenes, LL.M.