KPMG Law, KPMG Law in Austria and KPMG advise Olympia-Verlag and Kicker Ventures on joint venture with E-Quadrat communications to launch kicker app in Austrian market

KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (KPMG Law) and KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft (KPMG), together with Buchberger Ettmayer Rechtsanwälte GmbH (KPMG Law, Austria), advised Olympia-Verlag GmbH (Olympia-Verlag) and Kicker Ventures GmbH (Kicker Ventures) on a joint venture with E-Quadrat communications GmbH (E-Quadrat) to launch the kicker app in the Austrian market.

Olympia-Verlag is a German media company based in Nuremberg. It is wholly owned by Verlag Nürnberger Presse Druckhaus Nürnberg GmbH & Co. KG and publishes various print and digital offerings under the “kicker” brand, focusing on sports and soccer. Kicker Ventures is a wholly owned subsidiary that is home to Olympia Publishing’s internationalization activities.

E-Quadrat is an Austrian media and creative agency active in the sports betting industry as well as in the marketing of international sports portals, the production and syndication of sports data and marketing consulting.

Olympia Publishing expands into the Austrian market with its kicker app via a joint venture between Kicker Ventures and E-Quadrat. Kicker Ventures and E-Quadrat have founded the joint venture kicker Österreich GmbH for this purpose. In addition to the kicker app, an Austria-specific website is planned.

KPMG Law comprehensively advised Olympia-Verlag and Kicker Ventures on the planning, structuring and coordination of the transaction, on the negotiation of the joint venture agreement underlying the transaction including related individual agreements, on the establishment of kicker Österreich GmbH, on the licensing of the kicker app and in the merger control proceedings before the Federal Competition Authority, the competent antitrust authority in Austria.

KPMG in Germany, together with KPMG Law in Austria, provided support on the tax structuring of the transaction and on selected tax issues in Germany and abroad.

Advisor to Olympia Publishing and Kicker Ventures:

KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, Germany: Dr. Daniel Kaut , Partner, Sebastian Seibold, Senior Manager, both lead, both Corporate/M&A, Daniel Dörstling, Associate, Corporate/M&A, all Nuremberg, Dr. Anna-Kristine Wipper, Partner, Dr. Thomas Beyer, Senior Manager, both IP Law, both Berlin,
Marie-Valentine Goffin, Senior Associate, IP Law, Düsseldorf, Dr. Gerrit Rixen, Partner, Jacqueline Unkelbach, Manager, both Antitrust, both Cologne

Buchberger Ettmayer Rechtsanwälte GmbH/KPMG Law, Austria: Stephanie Sauer, Counsel, Corporate/M&A, Karin Bruchbacher, Counsel, Dr. Stefan Niederstrasser, Associate, both IT/IP and Antitrust, all Vienna

KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Germany: Dr. Frank Wiesmann, Partner, Dr. Andreas Demleitner, Senior Manager, both Lead, both Tax, both Nuremberg

Olympia-Verlag, Inhouse: Oliver Kühn, Head of Finance and Controlling, Werner Wittmann, Head of Digital Media