Eight reasons why we approved the acquisition of RTL by DPG Media

In 2025, the Democracy and Media Foundation, as a shareholder of DPG Media B.V., approved the acquisition of RTL Nederland. That was not an easy decision.

Media ownership concentration isn’t ideal—we’re open about that. But in today’s media landscape, where international tech companies dominate the playing field and journalistic revenue models are under enormous pressure, this acquisition was a well-considered and necessary step. Below are the eight reasons that were decisive for us.

1. Without a takeover, there was a risk that RTL Nieuws was in danger of disappearing

RTL Nieuws reaches millions of Dutch people every day with free, independently produced news. The German owner had put RTL Nederland up for sale, and the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) did not allow Talpa to acquire it. Other potential buyers included American streaming services such as Disney+ and Warner Bros. They would most likely be interested exclusively in the lucrative Videoland, but were not expected to invest in RTL Nieuws. It was not a choice between concentration and competition, but between a pluralistic Dutch media landscape and its impoverishment.

2. Scaling up is a necessity in a global marketplace

The biggest competition for Dutch media companies has long since come from outside the country. The parent companies of Google and Facebook—Alphabet and Meta, respectively—as well as TikTok, dictate the digital infrastructure and the advertising market; more than 80 percent of all digital advertising revenue in the Netherlands flows to these foreign tech companies. Media companies are caught in a double bind: they depend on platforms for their visibility, yet they lose revenue to those very same platforms. In this global playing field, even DPG Media is a small player. With RTL and Videoland, DPG Nederland is adding a strong video division, significantly strengthening its position relative to international competition.

3. Strong safeguards for journalistic independence

DPG Media has provided various safeguards to maintain the journalistic independence of all its publications. All editorial charters—which are binding rules that protect editorial boards from interference by owners and advertisers—are being updated and strengthened. A Journalism Charter has also been established as an overarching guarantee, which must be signed by all current and future shareholders and board members. It states, for example: “We believe in the importance of a diverse range of news, delivered by independent news media with their own distinct identities.” And “The democratic rule of law cannot function without journalistic oversight of those in power.” The unique Dutch system of editorial charters is therefore not weakened by this acquisition, but rather strengthened.

4. SDM Will Assume a More Robust Supervisory Role

The ACM has granted SDM an enhanced position. We will have the authority to decide whether to sell or discontinue all of DPG Media Nederland’s national news media titles. Furthermore, we can block an initial public offering (IPO), and if DPG wishes to sell the entire Dutch business, it must first offer it to SDM. We fulfill this shareholder role in close consultation with DPG, but independently and with a critical eye—exactly what we were founded to do.

5. Two new supervisory foundations strengthen governance

Two new foundations have been established that, as shareholders alongside SDM, oversee the media outlets of DPG Media Nederland: the RTL Nieuws Foundation and the NU.nl Foundation. Together with the other media foundations—Stichting de Volkskrant, Stichting Het Nieuwe Parool, and Stichting ter Bevordering van de Christelijke Pers in Nederland—we oversee the company’s internal pluralism and independence. There is no other media company in Europe with a comparable governance structure. We want to safeguard this uniqueness and hold it up as an example to other media owners.

6. Free access to news remains guaranteed

For a functioning democracy, citizens must be able to stay informed, regardless of their financial means. That means that some general news must be available for free. DPG Media Nederland has committed to keeping RTL Nieuws and NU.nl accessible for free. One of our top priorities was preserving the diversity of independent, accessible news coverage. With this commitment, these two points have been secured for the time being.

7. Pluralism is protected, not threatened

Concentration of ownership does not necessarily mean that media diversity will disappear. On the contrary: without the benefits of economies of scale, some Dutch news outlets would likely no longer exist. The Netherlands has dozens of newsrooms that operate independently of one another, each with its own editorial charter that protects against commercial or other interference, its own editorial board, and its own identity. That structure will remain intact following this acquisition. In fact, thanks to strengthened safeguards and governance, pluralism within DPG is better protected than at many other media companies.

8. Our history compels us

SDM owes its existence to the courageous founders of the underground newspaper *Het Parool*. They believed that a free, independent flow of information is crucial—not only as a form of resistance against a totalitarian regime, but also to prevent such a regime from emerging. They entrusted us with the statutory mission of protecting a diverse, opinion-driven media landscape, in the interest of the liberal democratic rule of law. That legacy compels us to make choices that ensure the continued existence of diverse, independent journalism. Even when those choices are difficult.