ANTENNA Group acquires controlling stake in B92

ANTENNA group acquires a controlling stake in B92, a leading Serbian broadcaster - further strengthening of ANTENNA’s leading position in South Eastern Europe
Source: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 | 09:22

ANTENNA Group, the international media and entertainment organization, with a leading position in South Eastern Europe, has acquired a controlling stake in B92, one of the leading free to air television networks and radio broadcasters in Serbia and the region.

B92 is a well-established, commercial, news oriented TV station that has developed a multimedia broadcast platform including television, digital media and radio. In 2014, B92 recorded the highest growth in viewership, in the free to air TV market, while B92.net has been the most influential and visited Serbian website since 1996.

ANTENNA will use its proven operational expertise to further develop B92’s media. This acquisition further expands ANTENNA Group’s presence in South Eastern Europe, where it now has operations in 5 countries.

“I strongly believe in the future of Serbia, a country in which we have experienced tremendous growth, having turned PRVA into the strongest Media company in Serbia and Montenegro”, said Theodore Kyriakou, CEO of ANTENNA Group.

”ANTENNA Group sees B92 as an exciting investment opportunity and we continue to seek similar ones in the European media sector, in countries where the regulatory authorities have strong working relationships with investors, such as Serbia.”

Theodore Kyriakou, CEO of ANTENNA Group

ANTENNA Group is an international media and entertainment organization with a leading position in South East Europe, operating across Europe, North America and Australia. It has offices in Amsterdam, London, Athens and New York and distributes content in over 20 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Group employs over 2.600 staff in Greece, Cyprus, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Romania, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

Created in 1989, ANTENNA owns and operates a portfolio of media assets across a variety of technological platforms. The Group’s activities include: free-to-Air TV and pay TV channels, online and digital ventures, television production, radio stations, magazine publishing, music publishing and production, content distribution, telecommunications services and education services. Channels and content from ANTENNA are carried on networks including Time Warner Cable, DISH, Foxtel and Unity Media.

ANTENNA Group pursues high-growth opportunities in both existing and new markets all over the world and invests selectively in media content and distribution assets, delivering high return-on-investment through a combination of management expertise, production and marketing skills, and experienced rights negotiations.

ANTENNA Group has significant experience in monetizing its investments and rewarding its shareholders and has built a unique track record in turning around and growing businesses. Its successful strategy follows its turnaround of Nova TV in Bulgaria, which it acquired for $3.6 million in 2000 and sold for €620 million in 2008, one of the largest returns-on-investment ever in the European media sector.

Among recent investments, ANTENNA transformed PRVA into the market leader in the Serbian commercial television market after acquiring the former Fox Televizija free-to-air network from News Corporation. It extended the PRVA brand in 2011 to Montenegro, where it acquired the Pro TV/FM and built it into the country’s second most widely-watched channel. In Slovenia, ANTENNA formed a joint venture with Telekom Slovenije to operate and develop Planet TV, which doubled its audience numbers within the first 6 months. In Romania, the Group completed in July 2014 the acquisition of one music TV and four music radio stations from ProSiebenSat.1: Kiss TV, Kiss FM, Magic FM, One FM and Rock FM.

ANTENNA Group is privately owned by the Kyriakou family.