Grupo Cisneros (Organización Cisneros S.A.) is a Venezuelan conglomerate owned by Gustavo Cisneros. Major assets include the Venezuelan television network, Venevisión, production and international distribution company Venevisión International, and the Venezuelan baseball team Leones del Caracas. Other assets include Venezuelan radio network FM Center and international channels Venevisión Continental and Venevisión Plus. It has the rights to the Miss Venezuela beauty contest and owns brewery company Cerveceria Regional.
The company was established as a conglomerate in 1953, but its roots go back to 1929, when Diego Cisneros established a transport business in Venezuela.[1] The company D. Cisneros & Cia. acquired several franchise rights in 1939 (including REO Trucks), and in 1940 exclusive rights to bottle and market Pepsi in Venezuela.[1]
In 1960, the President of Venezuela, Rómulo Betancourt, proposed to Diego Cisneros that he purchase Venezuelan television station Televisa, which had already declared bankruptcy. Cisneros accepted Betancourt's offer, and after purchasing Televisa, he re-branded it as Venevisión on 27 February 1961.[2]
Gustavo Cisneros took over as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Cisneros Group of Companies in 1970.[1]
In 1981 the group obtained the exclusive rights for the Miss Venezuela beauty contest. In the 1980s the group also acquired exclusive franchise or distribution rights in Venezuela for Burger King, Pizza Hut, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Apple Inc..[1]
The group took over Leones del Caracas in 2001.[1]