Koinon NV makes voluntary and conditional public takeover bid for Roularta Media Group NV

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Koinon NV
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8890 Moorslede
0508.995.226

Koinon NV makes voluntary and conditional public takeover bid for Roularta Media Group NV

Koinon NV (Koinon or the Bidder) announces today that on 19 May 2025, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (the FSMA) approved the prospectus (the Prospectus) for the previously announced voluntary and conditional public takeover bid for all the shares issued by Roularta Media Group NV (RMG or the Target Company) that are not already held by the Bidder or persons affiliated with the Bidder (the Bid).

The Initial Acceptance Period concerning the Bid opens on 20 May 2025 and closes on 13 June 2025 at 16:00 (CET). The Bid Price is 15.50 EUR per Share.

Xavier Bouckaert, CEO of Roularta Media Group, tells us more:

“Thanks to our stock market listing, we have been able to enjoy the confidence of our shareholders for years. We are very grateful for their loyalty. In the challenging media landscape, however, the benefits of the listing no longer weight up against the increasing administrative and reporting burdens. Furthermore, we have found that the efforts we are making do not contribute to raising the price of the share.Transparency about our strategic and sustainability ambitions will obviously remain spearheads of our activity but, more than ever, we need to set our sights on building a sustainable future for independent, high-quality journalism. This requires a long-term perspective and ongoing investments in the digital transformation of the company.”

West Investment Holding S.A., the investment vehicle of Mr Leo Claeys and Ms Caroline De Nolf, who have a historical (family) connection with Roularta Media Group, has committed to contributing all of its shares to the Bid.

Main characteristics of the Bid

Download the full press release, including the main characteristics of the Bid

Koinon is the holding company owned by the family of Mr Hendrik De Nolf and Ms Lieve Claeys. Koinon’s principal activity and the most important component of its assets is its shareholding in RMG.

Roularta Media Group (RMG) is a listed multimedia group with almost 1,200 employees and a total revenue of 320 million euros. In Belgium, RMG is the market leader in magazines in Dutch and French, and the market leader in local media with publications such as De Zondag. In the Netherlands, RMG has the second-largest portfolio of magazine brands. RMG has a hypermodern offset printing works, Roularta Printing, which serves all the major media companies in the Benelux region and the surrounding countries. RMG has powerful digital tools, such as the app ‘Mijn Magazines’, with a digital kiosk, a 24/24 website with input from all the editorial teams and subscriptions that are accessible to the whole family. The sustainability programme Roularta Cares makes RMG a trendsetter in the field of sustainability in the media sector. More information is available at www.roularta.be.

This press release will also be published in French and English. In the event of any incompatibility between the different language versions, the Dutch version shall prevail.

This press release is not a bid to purchase securities in RMG or a request to do so by anyone in any jurisdiction whatsoever. The Bid referred to in this press release is made solely on the basis of the Prospectus approved by the FSMA. No steps have been taken to enable the Bid in any jurisdiction other than Belgium, and no such steps will be taken. Neither this press release, nor any other information relating to the matters contained within it, may be distributed in any jurisdiction whatsoever in which a registration, qualification or any other obligation is or would be in force with respect to the content of this press release or that other information. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of financial laws and regulations in such jurisdictions. The Bidder, RMG and the persons affiliated with them explicitly reject any liability for any person's failure to comply with these restrictions.