 In 1985 he purchased a stake in the leading tabloid "Bild" after the death of former owner Axel Springer.During the 1990s he set up the subscription television service Premiere and became a key player in sports broadcasting rights, paying massive amounts for the rights to the German Bundesliga, eventually to the point where even players of moderate ability could earn multi-million mark salaries.This was consistent with trends happening across much of Europe at the same time.