• i&u TV has outstanding production expertise in show business, entertainment and infotainment
• Günther Jauch to remain show moderator and advisor for i&u TV in the coming years
• Strong addition for Tele München Gruppe and Universum Film to build independent German content house

Cologne, 29 March 2019 – KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced the acquisition of i&u TV (“i&u“) with the participation of Atwater Capital, LLC. i&u is an award-winning German television production company that combines information and entertainment in a unique way. The company produces TV shows such as “stern TV“, “Klein gegen Groß“, “Die Ultimative Chartshow“ and “Menschen, Bilder, Emotionen“ that have become defining parts of the German TV experience. i&u works closely with Germany´s most popular TV channels as well as with well-known show moderators such as Barbara Schöneberger, Thomas Gottschalk, Kai Pflaume, Jörg Pilawa, and Oliver Pocher.

“After i&u’s almost 20 years of success, I am grateful to the employees. Andreas Zaik will ensure continuity at the company as Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief. I will also continue to support the company both in front of and behind the camera for several more years. I am delighted that i&u will now become part of this large media company. I have known Fred Kogel for almost 40 years and respect him and his work. With Fred spearheading this powerful platform and a strong owner like KKR, i&u will benefit from new opportunities in the TV market and beyond,“ said Günther Jauch.

Strengthened TV production
“We are very happy to welcome Günther Jauch, Andreas Zaik and the great i&u team to our group. i&u creates unique TV shows and has been setting standards in journalistic entertainment for years. We want to build on this exceptional expertise. Infotainment is a key part of any future TV programming. The genre is becoming more and more important for our customers to differentiate their profile to appeal to viewers. I am looking forward to joining forces with the i&u team. Together, we will take the company to the next level,“ said Fred Kogel, CEO of the new media company.

Next stage of development
Philipp Freise, Member and Head of the European Technology, Media and Telecommunications Industry team at KKR, added: “With i&u, a first-class production company and a great team are joining our media company. We continue to realize our ambitious plans and are making great advances in reaching our goal of building a powerful content house in the German film and television industry.“
Following the closing of this transaction, the independent audio-visual content platform will include Tele München Gruppe, Universum Film and i&u. Together, the companies cover all parts of the value chain in the TV and film industry: they buy and produce feature films, series as well as TV shows and distribute this content to cinemas, TV channels, digital services, and home entertainment. At the same time, the companies own market-leading license libraries. Being independent furthermore allows the companies to provide premium content to all customers – from digital streaming providers such as Netflix or Amazon Prime to public and private TV channels. The management team around CEO Fred Kogel is currently preparing the operational start and further expansion of the media company.
The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. It is expected to close in May 2019. KKR is making its investment from its European Fund IV. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Further information on the new media company of Fred Kogel and KKR can be found in the press release of 21 February 2019 (link) and 25 February 2019 (link).

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Media Contacts

KKR

 

i&u TV
Torben Richter
i&u TV
Phone: +49 221 951 599-967

About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate and credit, with strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

About i&u TV 
i&u TV represents information and entertainment. Combining these was and is the idea that’s behind the German TV production company i&u TV having the intention to develop and produce high quality prime time entertainment, weekly magazines, reports, and docu soaps. Founded in the year 2000 the company is located in Cologne, Germany. Every year about 140 employees produce far more than 100 premiere broadcasts with more than 160 hours of program on German TV.
Some of the most known and frequent shows are: „stern TV“, RTL’s annual review show, „Menschen, Bilder, Emotionen“, „Denn sie wissen nicht, was passiert – Die Jauch-Gottschalk-Schöneberger Show“, „Die Ultimative Chartshow“, „Nachsitzen! Promis zurück auf die Schulbank“, „5 gegen Jauch“ (all RTL), „Klein gegen Groß – Das unglaubliche Duell“, „Ich weiß alles“, „Zeig mir Deine Welt“, the annual review „Das Quiz“ (all ARD). In addition, i&u TV also produces all kinds of shows for other major German broadcasters.
Productions of i&u TV have won numerous awards like: Deutscher Fernsehpreis, Bayerischer Fernsehpreis, Goldene Kamera, CNN Journalist Award, Bobby, Deutscher Comedypreis, RIAS-Preis, Felix Burda Award, Medienpreis der Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung and others.