United Group is an alternative telecom provider in

Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (al ...

that operates both

telecommunications Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...

platforms and

mass media Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit information ...

outlets.

History

United Group was formed in 2007, as a

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

-registered multinational entity, in a merger of

Serbia Broadband Serbia Broadband (branded as SBB; full legal name: ''Serbia Broadband - Srpske kablovske mreže d.o.o.'') is a cable television and broadband internet service provider in Serbia. The SBB company operates as part of the United Group, leading media ...

(SBB) and two companies named Telemach, one in Slovenia and the other in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Telemach Montenegro became a part of United Group in 2014. Telemach acquired Tušmobil on 1 April 2015. This being a cable acquisition of a mobile network makes it a unique case in the region, and the first step of United Group into providing all telecommunication services (landline, mobile, television, and internet) in one household. Today, United Group is the largest alternative

pay television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription business model, subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichan ...

platform in the region of the

former Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

, providing television, Internet, landline and mobile telephony to a large number of households and offices in the region through its cable, DTH and OTT platforms. In 2013, the group started its worldwide OTT platform, NetTV Plus, through which it provides Pay TV and landline telephony services to the former Yugoslav diaspora. As the group’s distribution platforms developed extensively throughout the region, the next step was entering the content and advertising sales business, today represented by United Media. In March 2014, United Group was bought by

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts KKR & Co. Inc., also known as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., is an American global investment company that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit, and, through its strate ...

, a leading global investment firm with headquarters in New York, and U.S. 94.3 billion in assets under management. The

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is an international financial institution founded in 1991. As a multilateral developmental investment bank, the EBRD uses investment as a tool to build market economies. Initially focus ...

(EBRD) is a co-investor in the company. In September 2018, a British private equity firm

BC Partners BC Partners is a British international investment firm with over $40 billion of assets under management across private equity, credit and real estate in Europe and North America. Its global headquarters are in London. The firm invests across all ...

began the process of acquisition of the majority stakes of United Group from KKR for an enterprise valuation of 2.6 billion euros. The acquisition was finalized on 4 March 2019. On 24 December 2020, United Group announced they would buy Bulgaria's Nova Broadcasting Group; the acquisition was completed on 22 January 2021.

Technological Development

The company was the first to offer digital landline telephony services in 2012. This was also the year United Group launched the first application for watching television and using TV services on different mobile devices. In 2016, United Group established United Cloud, the in-house technology and software "innovation center". In September 2017, EON TV platform was launched, which allows viewers in Serbia to watch TV via a smart TV app. In 2018, United Group launched EON Smart Box, which was the first regional solution to combine television with Android services and applications. In 2018, United Group also partnered with Fon to expand its WiFi network and enable Balkan customers the access to more than 68 million WiFi

hotspots Hotspot, Hot Spot or Hot spot may refer to: Places * Hot Spot, Kentucky, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Hot Spot (comics), a name for the DC Comics character Isaiah Crockett * Hot Spot (Tra ...

all over the world.

Telecommunication platforms

Today, United Group is the largest alternative

platform in the former Yugoslavia region, providing television, Internet, landline, and mobile telephony to a large number of households and offices in the region through its cable, DTH and OTT platforms. The Group provides services across four key brands: *

- The leading alternative cable operator in Serbia. *Telemach - alternative cable operator in

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

and Montenegro, and a third mobile operator in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

and

. *

TotalTV Total TV is a satellite television provider owned by Serbian SBB. It broadcasts via Eutelsat 16A satellite (16.0E) and has over 1 million subscribers in Western Balkans countries: Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Nort ...

- DTH platform in the region (BiH, Serbia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro). *NetTV Plus - The OTT provider serving the former Yugoslav diaspora worldwide. * Forthnet - Nova: A Greek company that offers landline phone, internet, and TV services. It also owns several channels, namely nova cinema, nova sports, and nova life. These channels are offered only to satellite TV subscribers. * Wind Hellas: On August 16, 2021, it was announced that United Group had purchased Wind Hellas for about 1 billion euros. Wind Hellas offers mobile phone services, landline phone services, internet, and TV services. There has been no official announcement when a merger of Wind Hellas and Forthnet - Nova will proceed.

United Media

United Media is a combination of top Pay TV channels in the region (sports, movies, kids) and CAS Media providing clients with targeted media buying on most of the regional cable channels. United Media channel offer is available for cable, DTH, OTT, and

IPTV Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is the delivery of television content over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. This is in contrast to delivery through traditional terrestrial, satellite, and cable television formats. Unlike downloaded media, ...

distribution. In 2018, United Media announced the acquisition of Direct Media, a regional advertising agency. United Media channels: * Sport Klub 1 * Sport Klub 2 * Sport Klub 3 * Sport Klub 4 * Sport Klub 5 * Sport Klub 6 * Sport Klub 7 * Sport Klub 8 * Sport Klub 9 * Sport Klub 10 * Sport Klub Golf * Sport Klub HD * Sport Klub 4K * N1 (BiH; SRB; CRO) *Cinemania * Grand TV * Grand 2 *Lov i ribolov * Fight Channel *Pikaboo *Vavoom *

Nova S Nova S is a cable television network launched on 25 March 2019. Nova S, alongside the channels Nova TV, Nova BH and Nova M are part of United Media and owned by United Group United Group is an alternative telecom provider in Southeast Eu ...

* Nova TV *

Nova BH Nova BH is a Bosnian commercial television channel launched on 9 October 2018. From 2003 to 2018, this national commercial station formerly was known as Pink BH. Since October 2018, Nova BH is a member of the United Media portfolio, the leading ...

Nova M Nova M is a television station in Montenegro with a signal and broadcast licence that covers its entire territory. History Founded by Serbian Pink International Company, Pink M operated as its Montenegrin subsidiary. It was started in Decemb ...

* Nova Sport *IDJ TV *Brainz *Mini TV *

Doma TV Doma TV is a Croatian specialized television channel. Programming aired by Doma TV Telenovelas Ended * Acorralada * Alborada * Amar sin limites * Amor real * Amores Verdaderos * Anna und die Liebe ''(canceled after 254 episodes)'' * Apuesta ...

Nova Broadcasting Group (Bulgaria)

NOVA A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...

*NOVA NEWS *Kino NOVA * Diema * Diema Family * Diema Sport 1, 2, 3 * NOVA Sport *

Trace Sport Stars Trace Sports or Trace Sport Stars is a global entertainment television channel about the lives of sports stars. The channel can be viewed on streaming platforms such as Binge Networks. References External links

* Television stati ...

* The Voice Radio & TV *Magic FM & TV *Radio Nova News *Radio Vitosha *Radio Veselina *Netinfo EAD *Attica Eva AD *Lenta

Advertising space

CAS Media is the largest agency for the sale of advertising space on cable and satellite channels in the region.

Documentaries

* Discovery Channel Serbia *Brainz *

Viasat History Viasat History is a pay television channel owned by the Swedish media company, Viasat World LTD. The channel broadcasts history series from around the world with a focus on the ancient world, historical drama, royal history, travel history and ...

Viasat Explore Viasat Explore is a television channel owned by international media company, Viasat World LTD. The channel focuses on fishing, adventure, men at work and engineering. Viasat Explore is a 24-hour channel broadcasting in Central and Eastern Euro ...

Entertainment

* Grand TV * TLC Balkans *

Investigation Discovery Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. As of February 2015, approximately 86 million Ameri ...

* E! *IDJ TV *

HGTV HGTV (an initialism for Home & Garden Television) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The network primarily broadcasts reality programming related to home improvement and real estate. As of February 2015, appr ...

Kids

*Pikaboo *Vavoom *

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

Nick Jr. Nick Jr. (known on-air as the Nick Jr. Channel) is an American pay television channel spun off from Nickelodeon's long-running programming block of the same name. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Gr ...

Movies

*Cinemania *

AXN AXN is a pay television channel owned by Sony Pictures Television, which was first launched in September 1997 in Asia. Local versions have since been launched in several parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Funded th ...

*Cinestar *Cinestar Action *Diva TV *TV1000

News

* N1 (BiH; SRB; CRO)

Sports

* Sport Klub 1 * Sport Klub 2 * Sport Klub 3 * Sport Klub 4 * Sport Klub 5 * Sport Klub 6 * Sport Klub 7 * Sport Klub 8 * Sport Klub 9 * Sport Klub 10 * Sport Klub Golf * Sport Klub HD *E-Sports *Lov i ribolov

Legal disputes

When United Group announced its acquisition of

Vivacom Vivacom ( bg, Виваком) is the largest telecommunications company in Bulgaria and a former state-owned incumbent operator. The company is headquartered in the capital city Sofia and employs around 5,900 people, owning a mature distribution ne ...

, the largest Bulgarian telecom, United Group was added to the list of defendants in a lawsuit by Empreno Ventures, which disputes the ownership of Vivacom and the sale of the company.

References

External links

Official Site
{{Zvezde Granda Multinational mass media companies Telecommunications companies established in 2007 2007 establishments in Luxembourg Mass media companies of Europe Mass media companies established in 2007 Telecommunications companies of Europe