| Leonine Holding GmbH | |
| Former Name: | Tele München Group (1970–2019) |
| Type: | Private |
| Founder: | Walter Ulbrich |
| Location: | Munich, Germany |
| Industry: | Media |
| Revenue: | €286 million[1] |
| Revenue Year: | 2015 |
| Operating Income: | €56 million |
| Income Year: | 2015 |
| Parent: | Mediawan |
Leonine Holding GmbH, also known as LEONINE Studios and formerly known Tele München Group, LLC (German: Tele München Gruppe; TMG), is a German media production and distribution company that is based in Munich.
The activities of Leonine include trade in licenses, investments in television and radio stations and distribution and production of television films and movies.
The Tele München GmbH was founded on April 27, 1970, by author and producer Walter Ulbrich. It was purchased in 1977 by Herbert Kloiber and his business partner Fritz Buttenstedt. In 1980, the Concorde Filmverleih (Concorde film distribution) was founded and a year later, in 1981, the company acquired along with the cinema operator Hans-Joachim Flebbe several movie theaters in Hamburg, Berlin and Braunschweig.
TMG was partner at the television station Sat.1 in 1985; after a year, the company sold its shares and started the TV station musicbox. In the same year, TMG took over the Munich private radio station Radio Xanadu, which was later renamed to Radio Energy.
In 1987, Silvio Berlusconi’s company Fininvest acquired 50 percent of musicbox. This was the basis for the channel Tele 5. In 1988, Axel Springer Publishing House and CLT became partner at TMG. In 1989, 50 percent from the company were sold to Capital Cities / ABC.
1991 TMG sold its shares in Tele 5 to the Axel Springer Publishing House and in 1992 founded, together with CLT, Bertelsmann, Bauer Media Group and The Walt Disney Company, the TV channel RTL II. In 1995, the television station Tm3 was founded by TMG and the Bauer Media Group.[2]
In 1996, Herbert Kloiber bought back the TMG shares from Capital Cities / ABC, and took over the shares of Bauer Media Group on Tm3. In 1997, TMG participated in the Hungarian private broadcaster TV2.[3]
In 1998, Rupert Murdoch's company News Corporation took over 66 percent of Tm3 and two years later, in 2000, took over Tm3 completely.[4]
On 28 April 2002, the channel Tele 5 was restarted by TMG. TMG launched a streaming service, Filmtastic, in 2017.
In July 2011, Tele München Group announced that they brought 33% in German independent television production company Odeon Film AG. By November of that same year Tele Manchester Group announced that they increased their stake in Odeon Film by acquiring 40% of the company becoming TMG's biggest shareholder in Odeon Film AG.[5]
In February 2019, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) agreed to purchase TMG, with expected closing in April 2019. At closing, Fred Kogel's appointment as CEO would be effective.[6] KKR also agreed to purchase the Universum Film movie distributor from RTL Group days later, with the intent to combine the two companies.[7] i&u TV was acquired by April 2019, when the expanded TMG acquired Wiedemann & Berg. Wiedemann & Berg would continue its TV arm, W&B Television, as a joint venture with Endemol Shine Group. Founders Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg would continue as managing directors of Wiedemann & Berg while adding the position of head of the group's feature film production division.[8]
The enlarged Tele München Group was renamed Leonine Holdings in September 2019, with three main divisions: Distribution, Production, & Licensing. The distribution division, consisting of multiple Munich-based film distributors & a home video outlet, as well the company's stakes in RTL II & Tele 5, would be operating under the Leonine Distribution division name as of January 1, 2020. The production division, consisting of film & television production companies, would be grouped under the Leonine Production division, while continuing their separate identities. While under Leonine Distribution, RTL II, Tele 5, & the subscription video on demand services would continue under their current names.[9] Leonine purchased Endemol Shine Group's share of Wiedemann & Berg Television.[10]
In March 2022, Leonine Studios had announced that they're restructuring their German-based unscripted label by rebranding Odeon Entertainment to Madame Zheng Production the company hiring former RedSeven Entertainment executive and co-head of entertainment at Leonine Studios Tina Wagner along with former Red Arrow Studios producer and co-head of entertainment at Leonine Nina Etspüler taking over as leadership of the rebranded company.[11] [12]
In October 2022, Leonine Holding announced that they had brought a 25% minority stake in Munich-based children's animation production and distribution studio Toon2Tango and placed it under their Leonine Studios division, the acquisition marks the first time Leonine entered the animation production industry with Leonine Studios adding development and production of animation IPs to their distribution division.[13]
Since October 2023, Leonine started distributing home media releases from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
On December 18 2023, Leonine Holding along with its German production powerhouse division Leonine Studios had announced that they're launching a animation studio named Leonine Animation Studios GmbH and announcing that they've taken full control of Munich animation produer Toon2Tango and becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leonine Animation Studios[14]
In March 2024, Leonine along with its division Leonine Studios announced that they've expanded its production division and launched its new documentaries division label named Leonine Documentaries.
In April 2024, it was announced that Mediawan, also backed by KKR, would acquire Leonine, in which it already held a 25% stake since 2020, in an all-stock deal for an undisclosed sum subject to approval from German authorities.[15]
Leonine Holding formerly owned Tele 5 channel, which, since September 2020, is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.