The transaction covers a total of 22 TV stations and two OTT services in 12 markets. In addition to the AXN channels in the region, there are, among others, Hungarian Viasat 3 and Viasat 6 and Sony Channel. Although Antenna Group also mentions Viasat channels in the region in the announcement, it is only about the previously mentioned stations from the Hungarian market. Sony bought them in 2015.
The owner of Polsat Viasat Explore, Polsat Viasat History, Polsat Viasat Nature and Epic Drama will not change. – Viasat World Group is an independent media company, it is not part of Sony Networks or Antenna Group and this transaction does not affect it – informs the portal Wirtualnemedia.pl Karin Heijink, SVP Content, Marketing & Products Viasat World. According to the information from Wirtualnemedia.pl, the Greek owner does not plan to rebrand AXN channels on the Polish market in the near future.
See also: Series “Layout” from October 5 at AXN (photos)
Antenna Group wants to expand the channel offer
Newly acquired entertainment channels and on-demand services are on offer at 90%. pay TV operators and reach 24 million subscribers in 12 territories: Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Montenegro. They broadcast a mix of original productions and international programs from major studios including Sony Pictures Entertainment, CBS, Warner Bros, NBC Universal, Disney and eOne.
Antenna Group announces that it will seek to expand the offer of these channels and will invest in streaming services. The company’s channels and services currently reach 150 million recipients, and their value in the region of Central and Eastern Europe exceeds EUR 1 billion.
– Antenna Group is constantly looking for investment opportunities in the media sector around the world, the region of Central and Eastern Europe remains an important target for us. We have been investing in the region for over 20 years, striving to provide the best entertainment and news programs locally. This acquisition is another step in this direction and opens the way for further growth in these markets, said Theodore Kyriakou, CEO of Antenna Group.
– I am glad to welcome the Sony Networks teams in Warsaw, Budapest and Bucharest to Antenna Group. Together, we will resume our efforts to entertain the masses of fans who trust AXN and Viasat, and thus confirm our position as the preferred content partner for pay TV operators and advertisers who share our ambitions to develop the pay TV market in Central and Eastern Europe – he argued Adam Theiler, CEO of Pay TV channels at Antenna Group.
The Greek company invests i.a. in Romania
Antenna Group, better known as ANT1 Group, is currently the largest media company in Greece. ANT1 began operating in 1989 with the launch of Radio 97.2 (now Easy 97.2), a radio station in Athens. In the same year it launched ANT1 Radio 97.5 Thessaloniki (now Easy 97.5). In 1990, ANT1 Television was founded. Later, the company also invested in internet access services. Currently, he is the owner of the radio stations Kiss FM, Magic FM, Rock FM, One FM in Romania, Moldova and Cyprus. In Romania, it also broadcasts the music TV channels Kiss TV, Magic TV, and Rock TV. In Cyprus, the ANT1 channel.
The average share of AXN in Poland in 2020 was 0.29 percent.
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