Paramount Global and German broadcasting group RTL have abandoned their plans to merge and launch a new Super RTL linear channel that would replace Nickelodeon in Germany. 

The deal’s collapse came on the heels of the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) signaling its intention to veto the transaction, claiming that it would consolidate too much kids advertising inventory under just one company. RTL is already a key player in this market with its Super RTL and TOGGO brands.

“The merger planned by RTL and Paramount would have affected the area of moving-picture advertising for the target group of children ages three to 13,” says FCO president Andreas Mund, who also notes that the agency’s investigations showed that children are migrating away from linear TV to other platforms such as Netflix and TikTok, which do not offer advertising to kids. 

Paramount and RTL put forth their merger proposal in April. The plan was for Super RTL to launch a new free-to-air channel and take over the German broadcasting rights to Nick’s programming catalogue, which includes PAW Patrol, The Loud House and SpongeBob SquarePants.