Merger Notification - Announcement according to § 10 Cartel Act
SFO Media Holding GmbH; Deneb Algedi Invest AG; Mr. Rusmir Nefic; C-DACH Business News Holding GmbH
BWB/Z-7196
On 15.01.2026 the Austrian Federal Competition Authority was notified of the following merger:
Planned purchase process
The proposed transaction comprises the acquisition of shares and assets, i.e. (i) the acquisition by Mr. Benjamin Lakatos, Hungary, via Deneb Algedi Invest AG, Switzerland, an investment holding company ultimately controlled by Mr. Benjamin Lakatos (or another investment holding company incorporated in Switzerland, ultimately and directly controlled by Mr. Benjamin Lakatos, of a jointly controlling 35% shareholding in C-DACH Business News Holding GmbH, Austria
("Target"), a newly established wholly-owned subsidiary of SFO Media Holding GmbH, Austria, a holding company set up for the proposed transaction and ultimately solely controlled by San Gabriel Privatstiftung, Austria, and (ii) the acquisition in the Target of a non-controlling 30% shareholding by Mr. Rusmir Nefic, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The remaining shares in the Target (i.e. 35%), conferring joint control, will remain with SFO Media Holding GmbH. Simultaneously,
(iii) the Target shall enter into a License & Cooperation Agreement with CNBC (UK) Limited, UK, under the terms of which the Target will be granted:
- an exclusive long-term license to broadcast in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, to produce, to display and operate a CNBC-branded multi-media platform for business and financial news services in the local language, i.e. in German. The services will focus on business and financial news relevant to these territories, as well as global news from the perspective of viewers and businesses located therein; and
an exclusive long-term license to access, translate into German, and use content produced by CNBC UK and its affiliates through a CNBC branded business and financial news channel in the DACH-Region.
ÖNACE Code: Motion picture, video and television programme activities.
J - PUBLISHING, BROADCASTING, AND CONTENT PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION ACTIVITIES J 59 - Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities, J 59.1 - Motion picture, video and television programme activities
Deadline for bringing in an application pursuant to § 11(1) Cartel Act will end on 12.02.2026.
Entrepreneurs whose legal or economic interests are affected by the merger can bring in a written statement at the Federal Competition Authority or the Federal Cartel Prosecutor within 14 days from publication date.
Note: The intervening party has no right to a certain treatment of the statement and will not gain a party position.
Non-prohibition of the merger
The Federal Competition Authority and the Federal Cartel Prosecutor have not applied for examination of the merger by the Cartel Court. The standstill obligation (§ 17 (1) Cartel Act) ends with effect from 13.02.2026 .