Company Registration No. 13409546 (England and Wales)
CPL RB Ltd
Annual report and financial statements
for the year ended 31 May 2025
CPL RB Ltd
Company information
Directors
Janet Christine Oakes
Martin Anton Metzger
Danielle Suzanne Lux
Benjamin Green
Romesh Ranganathan
Company number
13409546
Registered office
8 Gate Street
London
W2CA 3HP
Independent auditor
Saffery LLP
71 Queen Victoria Street
London
EC4V 4BE
CPL RB Ltd
Contents
Page
Directors' report
1
Directors' responsibilities statement
2
Independent auditor's report
3 - 5
Income statement
6
Statement of financial position
7
Notes to the financial statements
8 - 11
CPL RB Ltd
Directors' report
For the year ended 31 May 2025
1

The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the period ended 31 May 2024.

Principal activities

The principal activity of the company continued to be that of television programme production.

Directors

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

Janet Christine Oakes
Martin Anton Metzger
Danielle Suzanne Lux
Benjamin Green
Romesh Ranganathan
Auditor

The auditor, Saffery LLP, is deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.

Statement of disclosure to auditor

So far as each person who was a director at the date of approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditor is unaware. Additionally, the directors individually have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information.

Going concern

Although t he company had net assets of £117,796 (2024: net liabilities of £118,575) as at the balance sheet date, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operation al existence for the foreseeable future. T he going concern basis has been adopted based on the ongoing support of the parent company. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Small companies exemption

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.

On behalf of the board
Janet Christine Oakes
Director
13 May 2026
CPL RB Ltd
Directors' responsibilities statement
For the year ended 31 May 2025
2

The directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law).

Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

- make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

CPL RB Ltd
Independent auditor's report
To the members of CPL RB Ltd
3
Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of CPL RB Ltd (the 'company') for the year ended 31 May 2025 which comprise the income statement, the statement of financial position and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

- give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 May 2025 and of its result for the year then ended;

- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:

- the information given in the Directors' R eport for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

- the Directors' Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

CPL RB Ltd
Independent auditor's report (continued)
To the members of CPL RB Ltd
4
Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identifie d material misstatements in the Directors' R eport.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

- certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

- the directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemption in preparing the Directors' Report and from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report.

Responsibilities of directors

As explained more fully in the directors' r esponsibilities s tatement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud are detailed below.

Identifying and assessing risks related to irregularities:

We assessed the susceptibility of the company’s financial statements to material misstatement and how fraud might occur, including through discussions with the directors, discussions within our audit team planning meeting, updating our record of internal controls and ensuring these controls operated as intended. We evaluated possible incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements. We identified laws and regulations that are of significance in the context of the company by discussions with directors and by updating our understanding of the sector in which the company operates.

Laws and regulations of direct significance in the context of the company include The Companies Act 2006 and UK Tax legislation, specifically legislation relating to creative industry tax credits.

CPL RB Ltd
Independent auditor's report (continued)
To the members of CPL RB Ltd
5

Audit response to risks identified

We considered the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items including a review of financial statement disclosures. We reviewed the company's records of breaches of laws and regulations, minutes of meetings and correspondence with relevant authorities to identify potential material misstatements arising. We discussed the company's policies and procedures for compliance with laws and regulations with members of management responsible for compliance. We have reviewed management’s assessment of how the company, and production, comply with the relevant laws and regulations governing access to the creative industry tax credits.

During the planning meeting, the engagement team discussed the key areas which might involve non-compliance with laws and regulations or fraud. We enquired of management whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations or knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud. We addressed the risk of fraud through management override of controls by testing the appropriateness of journal entries and identifying any significant transactions that were unusual or outside the normal course of business. We assessed whether judgements made in making accounting estimates gave rise to a possible indication of management bias. At the completion stage of the audit, reviews included ensuring that the team had approached their work with appropriate professional scepticism and thus the capacity to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations and fraud.

There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Jake Stanmore (Senior Statutory Auditor)
For and on behalf of Saffery LLP
14 May 2026
Statutory Auditors
71 Queen Victoria Street
London
EC4V 4BE
CPL RB Ltd
Income statement
For the year ended 31 May 2025
6
2025
2024
Notes
£
£
Cost of sales
206,235
(33,096)
Administrative expenses
(19,620)
(13,000)
Operating profit/(loss)
186,615
(46,096)
Interest receivable and similar income
-
0
1,040
Profit/(loss) before taxation
186,615
(45,056)
Tax on profit/(loss)
4
49,756
-
0
Profit/(loss) for the financial year
236,371
(45,056)

The income statement has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.

CPL RB Ltd
Statement of financial position
As at 31 May 2025
31 May 2025
7
2025
2024
Notes
£
£
£
£
Current assets
Debtors
5
49,756
264,544
Cash at bank and in hand
554,101
627,555
603,857
892,099
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
6
(486,061)
(1,010,674)
Net current assets/(liabilities)
117,796
(118,575)
Capital and reserves
Called up share capital
7
1
1
Profit and loss reserves
117,795
(118,576)
Total equity
117,796
(118,575)

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the board of directors and authorised for issue on 13 May 2026 and are signed on its behalf by:
Janet Christine Oakes
Director
Company Registration No. 13409546
CPL RB Ltd
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 May 2025
8
1
Accounting policies
Company information

CPL RB Ltd is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 8 Gate Street, London, W2CA 3HP.

1.1
Accounting convention

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The disclosure requirements of section 1A of FRS 102 have been applied other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary a mounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2
Going concern

A true t the time of approving the financial statements, t he directors have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The going concern basis has been adopted based on the ongoing support of the parent company. Thus t he directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

1.3
Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand and deposits held at call with

banks.

1.4
Financial instruments

The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the company's statement of financial position when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Classification of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities.

CPL RB Ltd
Notes to the financial statements (continued)
For the year ended 31 May 2025
1
Accounting policies (continued)
9
Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and l oans from fellow group companies, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future paymen ts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. A m ounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

1.5
Equity instruments

Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the company.

1.6
Taxation

The tax credit represents the sum of the tax currently recoverable.

Current tax

The tax currently recoverable is based on relievable losses arising in the period as the result of UK high-end television tax relief legislation. Relievable losses differ from net losses as reported in the profit and loss statement because they include an additional deduction relating to qualifying television development expenditure and exclude items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other periods, as well as items that are never taxable or deductible. The company’s tax position is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

2
Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

CPL RB Ltd
Notes to the financial statements (continued)
For the year ended 31 May 2025
2
Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty (continued)
10
Key sources of estimation uncertainty

The estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are as follows.

Tax Credit Estimate

A key accounting estimate within the financial statements for this Company is the valuation of the creative industry tax credit available. The estimate is based on the assessment of the value of qualifying expenditure as per HMRC legislations and guidance plus assessment of the qualification of the underlying production as eligible for the tax relief.

In the directors opinion, there were no other critical judgements or other estimation uncertainties in these financial statements.

3
Employees

The average monthly number of persons employed by the company during the year was:

2025
2024
Number
Number
Total
0
0
4
Taxation
2025
2024
£
£
Current tax
UK corporation tax on profits for the current period
(49,756)
-
0
5
Debtors
2025
2024
Amounts falling due within one year:
£
£
Trade debtors
-
0
264,544
Corporation tax recoverable
49,756
-
0
49,756
264,544
CPL RB Ltd
Notes to the financial statements (continued)
For the year ended 31 May 2025
11
6
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2025
2024
£
£
Trade creditors
384
22,500
Amounts owed to parent company
466,177
522,622
Other creditors
19,500
465,552
486,061
1,010,674

Amounts owed to parent company are unsecured, interest free and payable on demand.

7
Called up share capital
2025
2024
2025
2024
Ordinary share capital
Number
Number
£
£
Issued and fully paid
1 ordinary share of £1 each
1
1
1
1
8
Financial commitments, guarantees and contingent liabilities

Under a group registration, the company is jointly and severally liable for VAT as at 31 May 2025 of £164,646 (31 May 2024: £175,253).

9
Related party transactions

The company has taken advantage of the exemption under paragraph 33.1a of FRS 102 from disclosing transactions entered into between two or more members of a group, where any subsidiary undertaking which is party to the transaction is wholly owned by a member of that group.

10
Parent company

The company's immediate parent company i s CPL Productions Limited. The parent company is registered in England and Wales.

ProSiebanSat 1 Media AG, a company incorporated in Germany, is the ultimate controlling party and parent company of the largest and smallest group of which the Company is a member and for which group accounts are drawn up. Copies of the financial statements may be obtained from Medienallee 7, 85771, Unterfohring, Germany.

2025-05-31 2024-06-01 false false false CCH Software CCH Accounts Production 2025.300 Janet Christine Oakes Martin Anton Metzger Danielle Suzanne Lux Benjamin Green Romesh Ranganathan 13409546 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:Director1 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:Director2 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:Director3 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:Director4 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:Director5 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:RegisteredOffice 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 2025-05-31 13409546 2023-06-01 2024-05-31 13409546 2024-05-31 13409546 core:CurrentFinancialInstruments core:WithinOneYear 2025-05-31 13409546 core:CurrentFinancialInstruments core:WithinOneYear 2024-05-31 13409546 core:CurrentFinancialInstruments 2025-05-31 13409546 core:CurrentFinancialInstruments 2024-05-31 13409546 core:ShareCapital 2025-05-31 13409546 core:ShareCapital 2024-05-31 13409546 core:RetainedEarningsAccumulatedLosses 2025-05-31 13409546 core:RetainedEarningsAccumulatedLosses 2024-05-31 13409546 core:ShareCapitalOrdinaryShareClass1 2025-05-31 13409546 core:ShareCapitalOrdinaryShareClass1 2024-05-31 13409546 core:UKTax 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 core:UKTax 2023-06-01 2024-05-31 13409546 bus:OrdinaryShareClass1 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:OrdinaryShareClass1 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:OrdinaryShareClass1 2024-05-31 13409546 bus:PrivateLimitedCompanyLtd 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:FRS102 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:Audited 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 13409546 bus:FullAccounts 2024-06-01 2025-05-31 xbrli:pure xbrli:shares iso4217:GBP