Leonine Holding
| Company type | GmbH |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media production and distribution |
| Predecessor | Tele München Group, LLC (Tele München Gruppe; TMG) |
| Founded | April 27, 1970 in Munich, Germany |
| Founder | Walter Ulbrich |
| Fate | Acquired by Mediawan (April 2024) |
| Headquarters | Munich , Germany |
Area served | Germany, Austria, Switzerland, international territories |
Key people | Fred Kogel (CEO), Herbert L. Kloiber (involved in production subsidiaries) |
| Products | Film and television production and distribution, content licensing, investments in broadcasters |
| Owner | Mediawan (since April 2024) |
| Parent | Mediawan (since April 2024) |
Leonine Holding GmbH, operating under the name LEONINE Studios and previously known as Tele München Group, LLC (Tele München Gruppe; TMG), is a media production and distribution firm headquartered in Munich, Germany. Since April 2024, it has been a subsidiary of the French media corporation Mediawan.
Leonine's business activities encompass content licensing, investments in television and radio broadcasters, as well as the creation and distribution of film and television projects. Its production portfolio spans feature films, international TV series, entertainment formats, and social media content via its proprietary labels such as Odeon Fiction, Madame Zhang Production, SEO Entertainment, W&B Television, and Wiedemann & Berg Film Production.
Tele München Group
Established on April 27, 1970, by producer Walter Ulbrich, Tele München GmbH initially focused on producing content for German public broadcasters, beginning with Jack London's The Sea Wolf. In 1977, ownership transferred to Herbert Kloiber and Fritz Buttenstedt. By 1980, TMG had introduced its theatrical distribution division Concorde Filmverleih, marking its entry into nationwide cinema distribution. The following year saw TMG acquire multiple cinemas located in Hamburg, Berlin, and Braunschweig.
TMG was an early investor in the TV channel Sat.1 in 1985 but divested its shares after one year to launch the music channel musicbox. That same year, TMG purchased the Munich-based private radio station Radio Xanadu, which was later rebranded as Radio Energy.
In 1987, Fininvest, owned by Silvio Berlusconi, acquired a 50% stake in musicbox, which subsequently evolved into channel Tele 5. The next year, Axel Springer SE and CLT joined as partners in TMG. By 1989, half of TMG was sold to Capital Cities / ABC.
In 1991, TMG divested its Tele 5 shares to Axel Springer and in 1992 collaborated with CLT, Bertelsmann, Bauer Media Group, and The Walt Disney Company to establish TV channel RTL II. In 1995, TMG partnered with Bauer Media Group to launch station Tm3.
Herbert Kloiber reacquired shares from Capital Cities / ABC in 1996 and also purchased Bauer Media Group's interest in Tm3. The following year, TMG invested in Hungarian broadcaster TV2.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation acquired a majority stake in Tm3 in 1998 and completed full ownership by 2000.
In September 1999, EM.TV & Merchandising AG took a 49% stake in Tele München Group.
On April 28, 2002, TMG relaunched Tele 5. The company introduced the streaming platform Filmtastic in 2017.
July 2011 saw Tele München Group acquire a one-third shareholding in independent TV producer Odeon Film AG; by November that year this stake was increased to 40%, making TMG Odeon's largest shareholder.
Leonine Holdings
In February 2019, New York-based private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) agreed to purchase German production and distribution company Tele München Group. This acquisition included its global sales division Tele München International; subsidiaries Concorde Filmverleih and Concorde Home Entertainment; an 85% ownership of Odeon Film; production company Clasart Film- und Fernsehproduktions; and stakes in TV channels RTL II and Tele 5 from Herbert G. Kloiber. Upon completion of the deal, Fred Kogel was appointed CEO while Herbert L. Kloiber maintained involvement within production subsidiaries. Soon after the acquisition, KKR expanded its German presence by acquiring Universum Film along with two subscription video-on-demand channels from RTL Group, with plans to merge Tele München Group and Universum Film into a leading German entertainment production and distribution entity led by CEO Bernhard zu Castell.
In March 2019, KKR further enhanced its German portfolio by acquiring Cologne-based television production company i&u TV and integrating it into the merged group alongside TMG and Universum Film; founder Günther Jauch remained as head of i&u TV. The following month saw KKR purchase Munich-based Wiedemann & Berg Film Production; founders Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg continued serving as managing directors overseeing feature film production. Wiedemann & Berg Television remained a joint venture with Endemol Shine Germany.
By September 2019, the unified organization was rebranded as Leonine by KKR and structured into three core divisions: Distribution (combining Concorde Filmverleih, Concorde Home Entertainment, TM International, Universum Film plus stakes in RTL II and Tele 5), Production (including i&u TV, Wiedemann & Berg Film Production, Odeon Film), and Licensing. Free-to-air channels RTL II and Tele 5 along with subscription services retained their established brand identities. In November that year, Leonine acquired full ownership of Wiedemann & Berg Television from Endemol Shine Group consolidating it under Leonine Production.
In July 2020, Leonine divested free-to-air channel Tele 5 to American media corporation Discovery Inc. (now Warner Bros. Discovery) through Discovery Deutschland to concentrate on production and distribution activities; Discovery secured a long-term scripted content licensing agreement with Leonine.
December 2020 marked Leonine Studios’ acquisition of Munich-based light entertainment producer SEO Entertainment which continued operating autonomously under Leonine Studios with managing director Gillad Osterer reporting directly to CEO Fred Kogel.
In July 2021, Leonine formed a partnership with French audiovisual group Mediawan, rebranding their joint venture as Mediawan & Leonine Studios. Additionally, Leonine acquired a majority stake in British drama producer Drama Republic—signifying its entry into the UK market—with founders Greg Brenman and Roanna Benn remaining as CEOs.
March 2022 witnessed restructuring within Leonine’s unscripted television segment through renaming Odeon Entertainment as Madame Zheng Production; leadership included former RedSeven Entertainment executive Tina Wagner alongside Red Arrow Studios producer Nina Etspüler.
In May 2022, Berlin-based independent entertainment firm Hyperbole Medien joined Leonine’s production portfolio while maintaining operational independence under Leonine’s umbrella.
October 2022 saw Leonine acquire a minority stake of 25% in Munich-based children’s animation studio Toon2Tango within Leonine Studios—marking its initial venture into animation production.
Since October 2023, Leonine has been responsible for distributing home media releases from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
On December 18, 2023, Leonine inaugurated its own animation division named Leonine Animation Studios GmbH by taking full control over Toon2Tango; founders Hans Ulrich Stoef and Jo Daris continued leading Toon2Tango within this new division.
In March 2024, Leonine broadened its scope into non-scripted programming through launching Leonine Documentaries with former Constantin Film executive Jochen Koestler appointed president.
April 2024 marked French media powerhouse Mediawan, holding a quarter stake since 2020 supported by KKR, agreeing to acquire the remaining shares of Leonine via an all-stock transaction. This strategic move aims at creating a pan-European film and television leader while retaining the Leonine brand name and CEO Fred Kogel—who will join Mediawan’s executive board—subject to approval by German regulatory authorities.
Units
- Leonine Licensing
Leonine Distribution
Leonine Distribution serves as the film production branch of Leonine Studios, headquartered in Munich. It was formed through the integration of Concorde Filmverleih (established in 1980) into the acquired German production and distribution firm Universum Film, followed by a rebranding process.
This division is responsible for securing film and television rights for international territories, including Germany, and managing their release across cinemas and home entertainment platforms.
Subdivisions
- TM Distribution
- TM International
- Concorde (Munich) film company
- Concorde Home Entertainment (Munich)
- Universum Film movie distribution (previously a subsidiary of UFA GmbH under RTL Group)
Broadcasting
- RTL Zwei (Munich, 31.5% ownership)
Leonine Holding formerly possessed Tele 5, which was sold to Warner Bros. Discovery in September 2020.
Subscription Video on Demand Channels
- Filmtastic
- Home of Horror
- Arthouse CNM
Filmography
| Title | Release Date | Distributor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya the Bee | 2014 | Universum Film (Germany) StudioCanal (Australia) |
Also referred to as Maya the Bee Movie; produced in collaboration with Studio 100 Film, Flying Bark Productions, Screen Australia, ZDF, Buzz Studios |
| Maya the Bee: The Honey Games | 1 April 2018 26 July 2018 (Australia) |
Universum Film (Germany) StudioCanal (Australia) |
Follow-up film; co-produced with Studio 100 Film, Flying Bark Productions, Screen Australia, Buzz Studios, Fish Blowing Bubbles |
| Princess Emmy | 28 March 2019 30 August 2019 (UK) |
Universum Film Kaledeoscope Film Distribution (UK) |
Joint production involving Studio 100 Film, Studio 100 Media, Witebox, Talking Horse, Animation Fabrik, Red Kite Animation |
| Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword | 18 December 2019 (France) 2 September 2021 (Germany) |
Leonine Distribution SND Films (France) |
Produced alongside Studio 100 Film, Studio 100 Animation, Studio 100 Media, Belvision, SND Films, ZDF |
| Yakari, A Spectacular Journey | August 12, 2020 | Leonine Distribution BAC Films (France) |
Collaboration with Leonine Production, Dargaud Media, Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel, Belvision Studios, Le Lombard, BAC Film Production, WunderWerk, Gao Shang Pictures, WDR, France 3 Cinema |
Leonine Production
- Clasart Film (Munich)
- Clasart Television
- Clasart Classic
- Odeon Film (85.23% ownership)
- Odeon Fiction – scripted productions for television, cinema, and streaming platforms
- Madame Zheng Productions – specializing in reality entertainment, documentaries, and live broadcasts
- i&u TV (acquired April 2019)
- Mediawan & Leonine Studios (a joint venture with Mediawan)
- Drama Republic (51% stake)
- SEO Entertainment
- Wiedemann & Berg Film Production (acquired April 2019)
- W&B Television
Additional Ventures
- Load Studios – focused on digital media
- Storied Media Group – specializing in media project development and packaging
Leonine Animation Studios
Leonine Animation Studios represents the animation production sector of Leonine Studios. It was founded in December 2023 by Toon2Tango managing directors and former CEOs of m4e and Studio 100 Media, Hans Ulrich Stoef and Jo Daris.
Toon2Tango
Toon2Tango operates out of Munich as an animation and family-oriented production firm. It functions as a subsidiary under Leonine Holding through Leonine Animation Studios. Established in July 2019 by Hans Ulrich Stoef, who previously co-founded m4e and served as CEO of Studio 100 Media, the company appointed Jo Daris—formerly CCO at m4e and Studio 100—as Chief Content Officer in September 2019.
In March 2025, after the merger between Leonine Studios and the French media group Mediawan in April 2024, Toon2Tango formed a collaboration with Mediawan Kids & Family, which owns the French animation studio Method Animation. This alliance led to the integration of distribution channels. Consequently, all upcoming productions from Toon2Tango are distributed via Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution, positioning Toon2Tango as Mediawan’s German animation production branch.
Filmography
| Title | Years | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monster Loving Maniacs | 2023–present | Super RTL Nickelodeon Italy DR (Denmark) SVT (Sweden) NRK (Norway) Ketnet (Belgium) |
Produced jointly with Mondo TV, Belvision, Ja Film, and Ginger Pictures Distributed collaboratively with Mondo TV and Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution since 2025 |
| Grisù | 2023–present | Kika Rai Yoyo & Rai Play (Italy) |
A co-production involving Mondo TV, Mondo TV France, and ZDF Studios |
| Agent 203 | 2024–present | Super RTL Rai Gulp (Italy) |
Co-produced alongside Mondo TV, V House Animation, and Cosmos Maya Co-distributed with Mondo TV and Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution since 2025 |
| Littlest Robot | TBA | TBA | In partnership with Method Animation and V House Animation |
| Eldrador | Collaboration with Method Animation and Schleich |
See also
External links
- Official website
- Leonine website (English)