KKR acquires Wiedemann & Berg Film

Equity for the deal will be drawn from KKR European Fund IV, a €3.3bn buyout vehicle that makes large-cap investments.

KKR plans to form an independent German film studio that covers production, licensing and distribution. The company will buy and produce feature films and TV shows, and will distribute content to cinemas, digital services, home entertainment and TV channels.

KKR has also acquired audiovisual media group Tele München Gruppe, film distributor Universum Film and production company I&U TV. Wiedemann & Berg is to be the final acquisition for its new media company.

Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg, managing directors and hitherto sole shareholders of Wiedemann & Berg Film, will become part of the management team set up by Fred Kogel, the CEO that KKR hired to lead the company. The pair will be responsible for film production.

The management team is now preparing for the operational start of the media company.

Company
Wiedemann & Berg was founded in 2003 and has produced films such as The Lives of Others and Friend Request. The company also includes Wiedemann & Berg Television, which was founded in 2010 as a joint venture with EndemolShine. The company employs approximately 15 people and has offices in Berlin and Munich.

People
KKR – Philipp Freise (head of the European technology, media and telecommunications industry team).
KKR's audiovisual content platform – Fred Kogel (CEO).
Wiedemann & Berg Film – Max Wiedemann, Quirin Berg (managing directors).

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