RTL readies Five for sale?
May 27, 2010
RTL has formed a team that will be responsible for preparing a tender process for Five’s sale, reports The Telegraph.
When announcing its results earlier this year – (a E10 million loss against a E2 million profit for 2008) the company said it anticipated further consolidation in the UK broadcasting market. It appears RTL is readying to play its part in consolidation by auctioning off Five.
Ad sales were hit hard by the recession; RTL reported that spot ad revenue at the Five family of channels, which includes Five US and Fiver, was down 23.6 per cent. This is nearly twice the aggregate fall in TV ad revenues and emphasises Five's chronic revenue problem.