John de Mol’s Talpa Holding has acquired the 67% of Dutch broadcaster SBS which it did not previously own via a transaction with Finnish media company Sanoma. The move is part of The Voice creator’s drive to build a Dutch multimedia company with strong positions in television, radio, print and online. It also comes nearly six years after Sanoma partnered with Talpa to acquire SBS’ free-to-air assets in the Netherlands from ProSiebenSat.1. Talpa Holding now has full ownership of TV stations SBS6, NET5, Veronica and SBS9.
As part of the deal, financial details of which were not disclosed, Talpa’s stake in the TV guide business, Veronica Uitgeverij, will be sold to Sanoma. Talpa expects to close the acquisition soon, pending regulatory approvals and completion of other customary procedures.
Talpa Holding was founded in 2005 as a full-service content company. It also owns Talpa Radio, the largest music entertainment company in the Netherlands. Formerly part of Talpa Holding, The Voice producer, Talpa Media, was acquired by ITV in 2015. It continues to be responsible for management of the company and the creation and production of formats and concepts.
De Mol says, “I strongly believe in a strong Dutch multimedia company that is flexible enough to respond to the changing media landscape, which is primarily a consequence of rapid technological developments. SBS is a unique media asset which will be a key link in the new multimedia company. Access to innovative content and other platforms will be an important addition. The proposition that follows is interesting for viewers, readers, listeners, consumers and advertisers.” The company next plans to focus on further investments in OTT, print, online, data and concepts.
