Approval by Federal Cartel Office: FUNKE Mediengruppe establishes joint marketing platform with Axel Springer SE assisted by Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek

Following the principal proceedings, the Federal Cartel Office approved the "Media Impact" marketing cooperation between Funke-Mediengruppe (FMG) and Axel Springer SE. FMG was advised in this proceeding by a team led by Dr. Rainer Velte, partner at the commercial law firm of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek.

Led by Axel Springer, the intended joint company "Media Impact" is scheduled to perform national ad placement marketing and the marketing of magazine and online media for FMG and Axel Springer media in the newspaper sector.

The project is the third step of the extensive transaction between Axel Springer and FMG, which in the first step included the already approved sale to FMG of Berliner Morgenpost, Hamburger Abendblatt, and additional newspapers and advertising papers in the region, as well as the women's magazines of Axel Springer. The second part of the transaction concerned the acquisition of all Springer TV guides by FMG, which the Federal Cartel Office approved subject to conditions. FMG had also been advised on that transaction by the team led by Velte.

Counsel to FUNKE Mediengruppe, Germany
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek:
Dr. Rainer Velte (Lead),
Beatrice Stange,
Michael Vetter (all Antitrust Law), all Düsseldorf