| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Fate | Acquired by ProSiebenSat.1 Media |
| Successor | ProSiebenSat.1 Media |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Luxembourg |
| Website | www.sbsbroadcasting.com (offline) |
SBS Broadcasting Group (normally referred to as just SBS, which originally stood for Scandinavian Broadcasting Systems) was a European broadcasting group, operating commercial television, premium pay channels, radio stations and related print businesses in Western and Central and Eastern Europe. SBS has broadcasting services in Scandinavia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, The Netherlands, Romania, and the United Kingdom. SBS was controlled by funds advised by two private equity firms, Permira and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. Telegraaf Media Groep N.V. (TMG) of the Netherlands was also a shareholder in SBS, with a 20% equity interest. In 2005, SBS was bought by the equity firms Permira and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR). They 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.
SBS was founded by Harry E. Sloan who bought a stake in the Copenhagen station Kanal 2 and 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.
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Television operations started in 1989 in Scandinavia. In March 2005 SBS acquired C More Entertainment, a Nordic pay tv provider operating under the Canal+ brand, which is now controlled by Swedens largest broadcaster TV4. C More provides premium sports and movie channels in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland under the Canal+ and the now defunct C More brand.
The general entertainment network "TV Danmark" was launched in 1997. It was renamed "TV Danmark 2" when the sister channel "TV Danmark 1" was launched. When "TV Danmark 1" was renamed "Kanal 5", the first channel reverted to its old name before becoming "Kanal 4" in 2006. On January 1, 2007, the terrestrial Kanal 4 signals were replaced by a new channel called "SBS NET", while Kanal 4 continued broadcasting by satellite and cable. Starting January 1, 2009, SBS NET will be re-branded as "6'eren".
TV2 is owned jointly by SBS and MTM.
The Dutch channels have been bought by Sanoma and Talpa on 20 april 2011. [1]
RTV Pink is owned jointly by Pink International Company
TV 2 Radio - SBS bought it, after TV 2 sold it out. Now, it is a joint venture between TV 2 and SBS Radio A/S.
Nation-wide:
Local:
SBS has several local commercial radio licenses. The main network is called Mix Megapol and has several stations around the country.