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.

History

SBS was founded by Harry E. Sloan in 1989, 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. In March 2005, SBS acquired C More Entertainment, a Nordic

pay tv Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, b ...

provider operating under the Canal+ brand. In that year, SBS was bought by the equity firms

Permira Permira Holdings Limited is a British global investment firm specialised in buyouts, growth funds, equity funds, and credit funds. Founded in 1985 as part of Schroders, it became independent in 1996. Operating as Permira since 2001, the company ...

and

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts KKR & Co. Inc., also known as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., is an American global private-equity and investment company. , the firm had completed private-equity investments in portfolio companies with approximately $710 billion of total ...

(KKR). Telegraaf Media Groep of the Netherlands was also a shareholder in SBS, with a 20% equity interest. 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. 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 Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1982, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Cha ...

bought the Nordic portion of SBS for $1.7 billion. The radio stations were later sold to

Bauer Media Group Heinrich Bauer Publishing (), trade name, trading as Bauer Media Group, is a German multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Hamburg. It operates worldwide and owns more than 600 magazines, over 400 digital products and 50 radio and TV stations, ...

. The Romanian TV and radio operations were bought by Romanian businessman Cristian Burci and Antenna Group in 2013.

Former operations

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

Television

Belgium * VT4 (now Play4) * VIJFtv (now Play5) Bulgaria * The Voice (Bulgaria) Denmark * Kanal 4 * Kanal 5 * SBS NET (now 6'eren) * The Voice TV Denmark (later 7'eren, now defunct) Finland * Kutonen * TV5 Italy * Retemia (defunct, joint ownership with Internova, Profit, and Videopiù, 1997–1999) Hungary * TV2 Macedonia * Sitel *Sitel 2 * Sitel 3 * Kanal 5 * Kanal 5 plus Netherlands * SBS6 * Net5 * Veronica * SBS9 *Kijk.nl (web only) Norway * TVNorge * The Voice TV Norway (web only) * FEM * MAX * VOX Romania * Prima TV (also broadcast by cable in Moldova) * Kiss TV (known as ''TV K Lumea'' before November 2006, now owned by Antenna Group) Portugal * TVI (1996–1999) Sweden * Kanal 5 * Kanal 9 * Kanal 11 * The Voice TV Sweden (music, defunct) * ONE Television (defunct) Switzerland * TV3 (defunct, joint ownership with Tamedia, 1999–2001)

Radio stations

Denmark * The Voice *POP FM *NOVA FM Greece *Lampsi 92.3 FM (now owned by Attica Editions) Norway * Radio 1 * The Voice * Radio Norge (previously known as Kanal 24) Romania * Kiss FM (previously known as Radio Contact, available in Moldova with local insertions) *Magic FM *One FM *Rock FM Sweden * Mix Megapol * Rockklassiker * The Voice *Radio 107.5 * Vinyl 107

Print

* Veronica (TV/Radio guide)

References