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 Kanal 4 (''Channel 4'') is a Danish subscription television channel operated by Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery It was launched in 2006 as the successor of the former TvDanmark. The station is broadcast to D ...

) and Norwegian

TVNorge TVNorge (literally "TVNorway"; originally abbreviated TVN, now just abbreviated N in the logos) is a Norwegian television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA. History TVNorge went on the air on 5 December 1988 and was the first adv ...

. 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 C More Entertainment AB was a pay television company that previously operated as Canal+. It targeted Nordic countries and had a separate channel in Sweden (C More Film). The main competitors of C More Entertainment were Viasat Film and Vias ...

, 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+ Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

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 Mediahuis (; ) is a European multinational newspaper and magazine publishing, distribution, printing, television, radio and online media company founded in 2014 with assets in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg and Germany. Mediahuis ...

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 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 Cen ...

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 Sanoma Corporation (, , formerly SanomaWSOY) is Finland's largest media group and a European education publisher. The company has media business in Finland and an education business in twelve European countries, including Belgium, Netherlands, ...

and

Talpa Media Holding Talpa Network is a Dutch media conglomerate created by John de Mol Jr. in 2017. History Talpa Network was created in 2017 by John de Mol when he merged all his various media assets, De Mol wanted to create a Dutch media conglomerate that cou ...

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) The Voice TV Bulgaria (usually known as simply ''The Voice'') is a Bulgarian music channel. The Voice is a modern music media with its original format offering its audience a rich selection of contemporary hit music. The selection of music, shows, ...

Denmark *

* Kanal 5 * SBS NET (now 6'eren) *

The Voice TV Denmark The Voice TV was the name of a Danish television station that broadcast music videos 24 hours a day. 7'eren was launched on January 1, 2012, as a programming block on The Voice TV, and a year later, on January 1, 2013, the channel renamed The Vo ...

(later 7'eren, now defunct) Finland * Kutonen * TV5 Italy * Retemia (defunct, joint ownership with Internova, Profit, and Videopiù, 1997–1999) Hungary * TV2 Macedonia *

Sitel Foundever Group (previously known as Sitel Group) is a privately owned customer experience technology company headquartered in Luxembourg City. Foundever provides outsourced sales, technical support, customer service, and other business pro ...

*Sitel 2 * Sitel 3 * Kanal 5 * Kanal 5 plus Netherlands *

SBS6 SBS6 is a Dutch free-to-cable commercial TV channel and is a part of Talpa TV, formerly known as SBS Broadcasting B.V. and now owned by Talpa Network. Other channels of the group in the Netherlands are Net5, Veronica, and SBS9. History SB ...

Net5 Net5 is a Dutch free-to-air, free-to-cable commercial television channel, TV channel and is part of Talpa TV, formerly a part of SBS Broadcasting B.V. and now owned by Talpa Network. Other channels of the group in the Netherlands are SBS6, Ver ...

* Veronica * SBS9 *Kijk.nl (web only) Norway *

* The Voice TV Norway (web only) * FEM *

MAX Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

* VOX Romania *

Prima TV Prima TV () is a Romanian commercial TV channel, famous mainly for the ''Cronica Cârcotaşilor'' show and various reality shows aired on this channel. Overview Prima TV was launched as one of the first commercial television stations in Romania ...

(also broadcast by cable in Moldova) *

Kiss TV Kiss TV was a music video television channel owned by Channel Four Television based on the format of the Bauer Media Audio UK-owned national radio station Kiss. The channel's programming predominantly consisted of classic and mainstream hi ...

(known as ''TV K Lumea'' before November 2006, now owned by

Antenna Group Antenna Group or ANT1 Group, is a media company in Greece and currently the largest Greek media company. It was established on 2 August 1989 by Minos Kyriakou. Today, his son, Theodore Kyriakou, heads up a media empire whose operations include ...

) Portugal * TVI (1996–1999) Sweden * Kanal 5 * Kanal 9 * Kanal 11 *

The Voice TV Sweden The Voice TV Sweden was a Swedish language music television channel owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG broadcasting from the United Kingdom. It was launched in December 2004. Initially, it was only available on the Canal Digital satellite platfor ...

(music, defunct) * ONE Television (defunct) Switzerland *

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso * Canal 3 Niger, a commercial television channel in Niger * Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala * Can ...

(defunct, joint ownership with

Tamedia TX Group AG (formerly Tamedia AG) is a media company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Through a portfolio of daily and weekly newspapers, magazines and digital platforms, as well as own printing facilities, it is the largest media group in ...

, 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 :''If you are looking for the military radio station with the same name, see Radio Norge (1978–1991).'' Radio Norge (formerly ''Kanal 4'' and ''Kanal 24'') is a Norwegian radio station with headquarters in Bergen. It is subsidiary of Bauer ...

(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 Mix Megapol is a private Sweden, Swedish radio network controlled by Bauer Media Group. It launched in 1993 under the name Skärgårdsradion (Archipelago Radio). Later that year the name was changed to Radio Megapol when the broadcasting permissio ...

* Rockklassiker * The Voice *Radio 107.5 * Vinyl 107

Print

* Veronica (TV/Radio guide)

References