Login
Login

SBS Broadcasting Group

{{Short description|Defunct broadcasting company}}

{{About|the defunct broadcasting company|the current status of its assets in Nordic region|Discovery Communications Nordic|its former branch in the Netherlands|Talpa TV|other uses|SBS (disambiguation){{!}}SBS}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{multipleissues|

{{more citations needed|date=November 2016}}

{{Cleanup|reason=How the company's (former) assets should be sorted.|talksection=Talk:SBS Broadcasting Group#List of assets|date=January 2018}}}}

{{Infobox company

| name = SBS Broadcasting Group

| logo = Sbsbroadcasting.jpg

| type = Private

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1989}}

| successor = {{Unbulleted list|Discovery Communications Nordic|Play Media|Talpa TV}}

| defunct = {{End date|2007}}

| fate = Acquired by ProSiebenSat.1 Media

| location = Luxembourg

| key_people = Harry Sloan

| area_served = Europe

| industry =

| products =

| revenue =

| operating_income =

| net_income =

| num_employees =

| subsid =

| homepage = {{url|http://www.sbsbroadcasting.com}} (offline)

| footnotes =

}}

SBS Broadcasting Group (SBS), formerly Scandinavian Broadcasting Systems, was a European multinational media group, operating commercial television, premium pay channels, radio stations and related print businesses in Northern, Western and Central and Eastern Europe. It became the second-largest broadcaster in Europe.{{cite news |last1=McNary |first1=Dave|title= Jeff Sagansky, Harry Sloan Partner on $700 Million IPO| url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/jeff-sagansky-harry-sloan-partner-ipo-1203525557/ |access-date=8 October 2021 |magazine=Variety }}

History

SBS was founded by Harry E. Sloan in 1989,{{cite news |last1=Hopkins |first1=Nic|title= Media tycoon gets 178m from sale of SBS Broadcasting|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/media-tycoon-gets-178m-from-sale-of-sbs-broadcasting-2q38mz7qkqj |access-date=7 October 2021 |work=The Times |location=London}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite news |title= European broadcaster sold|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/business/worldbusiness/european-broadcaster-sold.html |access-date=8 October 2021 |work= The New York Times}} who bought a stake in the Danish station Kanal 2 (a local station in Copenhagen, now Kanal 4) and Norwegian TVNorge. In 1991, Sloan bought the Swedish Nordic Channel, which was soon renamed Kanal 5 and became the third-largest commercial broadcaster in the country. The company was originally known as "TV1", but was renamed "Scandinavian Broadcasting Systems" in 1991. After expanding into Benelux and Eastern Europe, the name was changed again, this time to SBS. By July 1994, the time of the CC/ABC-Disney merger, Capital Cities/ABC owned 23% of SBS.{{cite web|title=FACT SHEET: THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/%2FFIRST+AND+FINAL+ADD+--+DISNEY,+CAPITAL+CITIES%2FABC+AGREE+TO+MERGE%2F-a017368916|work=Press Release|publisher=The Walt Disney Company|access-date=7 March 2013}}

In March 2005, SBS acquired C More Entertainment, a Nordic pay tv provider operating under the Canal+ brand. In that year, SBS was bought by the equity firms Permira and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR).{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sbs-broadcasting-to-be-acquired-by-permira-and-kkr-in-transaction-valuing-the-company-at-approximately-euro-21-billion-25-billion-54963297.html|title=SBS Broadcasting to be Acquired By Permira and KKR in Transaction Valuing the Company at Approximately euro 2.1 Billion ($2.5 Billion)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120182150/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sbs-broadcasting-to-be-acquired-by-permira-and-kkr-in-transaction-valuing-the-company-at-approximately-euro-21-billion-25-billion-54963297.html|archive-date=20 January 2018|agency=PR Newswire|date=22 August 2005|access-date=2 June 2019}} Telegraaf Media Groep of the Netherlands was also a shareholder in SBS, with a 20% equity interest.{{cite web|date=4 September 2006|title=SBS Broadcasting Acquires Leading Music TV Channel in Romania.|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/SBS+Broadcasting+Acquires+Leading+Music+TV+Channel+in+Romania.-a0150857495|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106185104/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/SBS+Broadcasting+Acquires+Leading+Music+TV+Channel+in+Romania.-a0150857495|archive-date=6 November 2016|access-date=2 June 2019|agency=PR Newswire|via=TheFreeDictionary.com}} Permira and KKR also bought the German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 Media in early 2007, and on 27 June 2007 it was announced that ProSiebenSat.1 Media acquired the SBS Broadcasting group for 3.3 billion euros from the joint owners. ProSiebenSat.1 Media became the second-largest broadcaster of Europe with 48 TV stations.

Starting in 2011, ProSiebenSat.1 Media started to sell its non-German properties. The Dutch operations have been bought by Sanoma and Talpa Media Holding on 20 April 2011.http://www.fd.nl/artikel/21975607/behouden-huis {{subscription required}} In the end of 2011 ProSiebenSat.1 Group has sold its Bulgarian radio stations as well as the music channel the Voice TV to A.E. Best Success Services Bulgaria EOOD. The transaction was closed on 10 November 2011. On 14 December 2012, Discovery Communications bought the Nordic portion of SBS for $1.7 billion.{{cite web|last=Szalai|first=Georg|date=9 April 2013|title=Discovery Communications Completes $1.7 Billion SBS Nordic Acquisition|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/discovery-completes-sbs-nordic-acquisition-435237|access-date=6 November 2016|work=The Hollywood Reporter}} The radio stations were later sold to Bauer Media Group. The Romanian TV and radio operations were bought by Romanian businessman Cristian Burci and Antenna Group in 2013.{{Cite web|title=ProSiebenSat.1 sells Romanian radios, TV stations to Greek Antenna Group and local media owner|url=http://www.romania-insider.com/prosiebensat-1-sells-romanian-radios-tv-stations-to-greek-antenna-group-and-local-media-owner|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Romania Insider|language=en}}

Former operations

This section lists former channels and publications until the company's acquisition in 2007.

= Television =

Belgium

Bulgaria

Denmark

Finland

Italy

  • Retemia (defunct, joint ownership with Internova, Profit, and Videopiù, 1997–1999)

Hungary

Macedonia

Netherlands

Norway

Romania

Portugal

  • TVI (1996–1999)

SwedenFile:Kanal5-byggnaden - 2008-04-14 (gabbe).jpg

Switzerland

  • TV3 (defunct, joint ownership with Tamedia, 1999–2001)

= Radio stations =

Denmark

Greece

  • Lampsi 92.3 FM (now owned by Attica Editions)

Norway

Romania

  • Kiss FM (previously known as Radio Contact, available in Moldova with local insertions)
  • Magic FM
  • One FM
  • Rock FM

Sweden

= Print =

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://archive.today/20000818011534/http://www.sbsbroadcasting.com/ SBS Broadcasting Group]
  • [http://www.sbsradio.com/ SBS Radio]
  • [http://www.sbsradio.dk/ Denmark]
  • [http://www.sbsradio.no/ Norway]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20041128004257/http://www.sbsradio.se/ Sweden]
  • [http://www.sbsradio.com/GR/ Greece]

Category:Mass media companies established in 1989

Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 2007

Category:Pan-European media companies

Category:Television in Denmark

Category:Private equity portfolio companies

Category:Companies of Luxembourg

Category:Former subsidiaries of The Walt Disney Company

Category:Kohlberg Kravis Roberts companies

Category:Permira companies