ProSiebenSat. acquires leading online travel providers

ProSiebenSat.1 acquires leading online travel providers Acquisition of weg.de and ferien.de

Munich, December 9, 2013. The ProSiebenSat.1 Group is further expanding its e-commerce activities. Through its subsidiary Seven Ventures, the TV group has acquired all the shares of Comvel GmbH, which operates the travel portals weg.de and ferien.de, from the investor Media Ventures. Founded in March 2005 and headquartered in Munich, this company is one of Germanys most successful online travel agencies. Timo Beyer and Wolfgang Lehr will continue to serve as the managing directors of the online portals. The transaction is pending, subject to the approval of the German Federal Cartel Office.

The Internet travel market is one of the biggest e-commerce markets, and one that benefits tremendously from TV advertising, explained Dr. Christian Wegner, Member of the Executive Board of ProSiebenSat.1. The total German travel market has a volume of 52 billion euros; the online travel market accounts for 40 percent, or about 20 billion, of that total. Wegner went on to say: Travel brands are practically made for TV, as a highly visual and emotional medium, and therefore they represent a special point of emphasis for our e-commerce strategy. Both portals complement our travel portfolio ideally. Together with our other Internet investments, including the dynamic travel provider Tropo, as well as Wetter.com, Billiger-Mietwagen, MyDays, Holiday-Insider and Reise.com, we can serve any and needs of people planning their vacations.

Timo Beyer, CEO Comvel: We are thrilled to contribute our know-how as one of the biggest online travel portals to the ProSiebenSat.1 Group in the future. This strong partnership and the synergies that can be exploited with the companies of SevenVentures will promote the further growth of our business and solidify and expand our position in the tourism market.

ProSiebenSat.1s House of Travel

The TV group already holds investments in various areas of the travel sector. For example, Tropo is a dynamic organizer of affordable, high-quality trips, including all-included travel packages and last-minute trips. Reise.com is an online travel agency (OTA) that bundles and sells the travel packages of different organizers. Whereas online travel agencies like reise.com and weg.de sell the travel packages of different organizers, a dynamic travel organizer like Tropo packages various travel services and quotes up-to-the minute prices for attractive all-included travel packages and last-minute trips. Users of Billiger-Mietwagen.de, the biggest portal for rental car rate comparisons in Germany, can compare rental car offerings worldwide and book them directly on the website. The TV groups own weather portal Wetter.com is the widest-reach website offering weather and climate information in Germany. The portal MyDays is one of the leading vendors of experience gifts and events in Germany. In addition, SevenVentures holds an equity interest in Holiday-Insider.de.

About SevenVentures

SevenVentures is the venture arm of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group, one of the leading media companies in Europe and Germanys largest television network. In essence, SevenVentures pools companies and start-ups that can grow their business with the support of ProSiebenSat.1, as well as majority holdings in strategically important companies. Besides offering TV advertising time, SevenVentures can utilize the services of its own ecosystem consisting of the creative agency SugarRay and the digital agency Booming, to help growing young companies conduct integrated advertising campaigns centered on the lead medium of TV. SevenVentures is Germanys leading media investor, holding numerous investments in different market segments.

About weg.de

The portal weg.de is one of Germanys best-known online travel portals. It has repeatedly won the top spot in the rankings of independent comparison surveys. It covers all aspects of the travel and tourism market. It is known for its outstanding service quality and user friendliness. Weg.de offers a full range of travel packages, from all-included trips with hotel and flights, to ocean cruises, rental cars and ski trips. Customers are most impressed by the clarity and user-friendliness of the travel portal and by the outstanding quality of the service and advice provided. Founded in Munich in March 2005, weg.de is a brand of COMVEL GmbH. COMVEL GmbH, in turn, is owned by Europes fastest-growing tourism company.

LINK:	http://en.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/press-lounge/pr...
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