United Group

United Group is an alternative telecom provider in the former Yugoslavia that operates in two main business segments: telecommunication platforms and media (content and advertising).

For the engineering company formerly known as United Group, see UGL Limited.
United Group
Native name
United Group B.V.
TypeLimited liability company
IndustryMass media
Advertising
Telecommunication
Cable television
Founded2007
HeadquartersNaritaweg 165,
1043 BW Amsterdam
,
Netherlands
Area served
Serbia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Montenegro
Slovenia
North Macedonia
Croatia
Bulgaria
Greece
Key people
Dragan Šolak (Chairman of the Advisory Board)
BrandsSerbia Broadband

Telemach BiH
Telemach Slovenia
Telemach Montenegro

TotalTV
NetTV Plus
CAS Media Serbia
Tele2 Croatia
Vivacom
OwnerBC Partners
Websiteunited.group

History

United Group began in 2000 as a small cable company and expanded over the years through the acquisition and the formation of a number of assets, such as SBB, Telemach Slovenia and Telemach Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1] All companies formed together in 2012 to officially become United Group. Telemach Montenegro became a part of United Group as well in 2014. Telemach acquired Tušmobil on 1 April 2015.[2] This being a cable acquisition of mobile network makes it a unique case in the region, and the first step of United Group into providing all telecommunication services (fixed, mobile, television, and internet) in one household.[3]

Today, United Group is the largest alternative Pay TV platform in the region of former Yugoslavia, providing television, Internet, fixed and mobile telephony to a large number of households and offices in the region through its cable, DTH and OTT platforms.[4][5]

In 2013, the group started its worldwide OTT platform, NetTV Plus, through which it provides Pay TV and fixed telephony services to the former Yugoslav diaspora. As the group’s distribution platforms developed extensively throughout the region, the next step was entering the content and advertising sales business, today represented by United Media. In March 2014, United Group was bought by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, a leading global investment firm with headquarters in New York, and U.S. 94.3 billion in assets under management.[6][7] The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is a co-investor in the company.[8]

In September 2018, a British private equity firm BC Partners began the process of acquisition of the majority stakes of United Group from KKR for an enterprise valuation of 2.6 billion euros.[9][10] The acquisition was finalized on 4 March 2019.[11]

On 24 December 2020, United Group announced they would buy Bulgaria's Nova Broadcasting Group;[12] the acquisition was completed on 22 January 2021.[13]

Technological Development

The company was the first to offer digital fixed telephony services in 2012.[14] This was also the year United Group launched the first application for watching television and using TV services on different mobile devices.

In 2016, United Group established United Cloud, an in-house technology and software "innovation center".

In September 2017, EON TV platform was launched, which allows viewers in Serbia to watch TV via a smart TV app.[15] In 2018, United Group launched EON Smart Box, which was the first regional solution to combine television with Android services and applications.

In 2018, United Group also partnered with Fon to expand its WiFi network and enable Balkan customers the access to more than 68 million WiFi hotspots all over the world.[16]

Telecommunication platforms

Today, United Group is the largest alternative Pay TV platform in the region of Former Yugoslavia, providing television, Internet, fixed and mobile telephony to a large number of households and offices in the region through its cable, DTH and OTT platforms.[17]

The Group provides services across four key brands:

  • Serbia Broadband - The leading alternative cable operator in Serbia.
  • Telemach - alternative cable operator in Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, and a third mobile operator in Slovenia; Telemach (Slovenia).
  • TotalTV - DTH platform in the region (BiH, Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Montenegro).
  • NetTV Plus - The OTT provider serving the former Yugoslav diaspora worldwide.

United Media

United Media is a combination of top Pay TV channels in the region (sports, movies, kids) and CAS Media providing clients with targeted media buying on most of the regional cable channels. United Media channel offer is available for cable, DTH, OTT and IPTV distribution. In 2018, United Media announced the acquisition of Direct Media, a regional advertising agency.

United Media channels:

Advertising space

CAS Media is the largest agency for the sale of advertising space on cable and satellite channels in the region.

Advertising space via CAS Media:

When United Group announced its acquisition of Vivacom, the largest Bulgarian telecom, United Group was added to the list of defendants in a lawsuit by Empreno Ventures, which disputes the ownership of Vivacom and the sale of the company.[18]

References
  1. "Three investment funds interested in acquiring United Group". Serbian Monitor. 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  2. "KKR exploring EUR3bn sale of United Group". TeleGeography. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  3. "United Group company profile - Office locations, Competitors, Funding, Valuation, Financials, Employees, Key People, Subsidiaries, News | Craft.co". craft.co. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  4. "United Group announces €100m investment in local production". N1 Srbija (in Serbian). Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  5. Ostojić, Tatjana (2018-05-10). "United Group investira 600 miliona evra u regionu". PC Press. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  6. "KKR Closes the Acquisition of United Group". www.businesswire.com. 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  7. Aleksandar Mirković (2018-04-17). "UPDATE: KKR najavio nova ulaganja u Srbiju". PC Press. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  8. Simon (2018-04-17). "United Group announces new investments in Serbia". KoZnaZna - Visa regime of Serbia. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  9. "KKR prodao većinski udeo Junajted grupe, SBB ima novog suvlasnika". B92.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  10. "BC Partners's Acquisition of United Group – Global Legal Chronicle". Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  11. "BC Partners completes acquisition of United Group". United Group. 2019-03-04. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  12. United Grupa kupuje bugarsku Novu
  13. https://rs.n1info.com/english/news/united-group-takes-over-bulgarias-nova/ United Group takes over Bulgaria’s Nova, N1 Bulgaria
  14. Republic of Serbia, Republic Agency for Electronic Communications (2013). "An Overview of Telecom Market in the Republic of Serbia in 2012" (PDF). Ratel.
  15. "New gen TV for Serbia". Broadband TV News. 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  16. "Blog: United Group expands hotspot network with Fon's global footprint". Fon: The global WiFi network. 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  17. "United Group backed by KKR, EBRD acquires CME portfolio in Croatia, Slovenia". seenews.com. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  18. "UPDATE 1-United Group to buy Bulgaria's Vivacom in $1.3 bln deal". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
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