Central European Media Enterprises

Media and entertainment company

Central European Media Enterprises Ltd.

Company type| Subsidiary
Industry| Media
Founded| 1991; 34 years ago (1991)
Founders|

* Ronald Lauder
* Mark Palmer

Headquarters| Prague, Czech Republic

Key people

* Didier Stoessel (CEO; Responsible for Czech Republic & Romania)
* Klára Brachtlová (Interim Deputy CEO, Responsible for Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia, and Slovenia)

Products| Television broadcasting
Television production
Video on demand service provider
Parent| PPF Group N.V.
Website| www.cme.net

Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. (CME) is a media and entertainment company that operates television channels in seven geographic areas: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania and Moldova, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Until its acquisition by PPF Group N.V. in October 2020, the company was listed on NASDAQ and Prague Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CETV.[1] It has since been delisted.[2]

## History

[edit]

Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. was co-founded in 1991 by Americans Ronald Lauder and Mark Palmer in Germany as CEDC GmbH (Central European Development Corporation),[3] and later changed its name and reincorporated in the Netherlands as Central European Media Enterprises (CME). It started broadcasting its first channel in the Czech Republic in 1994.

On 23 March 2009, Time Warner announced it would invest $241.5 million in CME for a 31% stake.[4] By 2Q 2013, Time Warner had acquired a controlling interest in CME in a series of transactions.[5]

In October 2019, AT&T signed an agreement to sell WarnerMedia's stake to PPF.[6][7] The transaction valued at $2.1 billion was completed in October 2020.[8]

In February 2010 CME has reached an agreement to acquire bTV, Bulgaria's first national private television station for $400 million from News Corporation.[9]

On 14 February 2022, Central European Media Enterprises announced buying RTL Hrvatska from RTL Group for €50 million. The transaction was closed on 1 June 2022.[10][11][12]

## Operations

[edit]

CME is the broadcast market leader in most countries where it has television stations. CME currently operates 46 television channels broadcasting to approximately 49 million people across 6 geographic segments. CME develops and produces content for its television channels, and its content is also consumed through subscription and advertising VOD.[13] It also operates the Voyo streaming platform that provides on demand local content in all of CME’s geographic regions. Since November 2024 Voyo operates also in Serbia.[14]

Since 2021, original series and feature films have been launched on Voyo under the brand Voyo Originals, featuring content that is exclusively accessible on this platform. For example The criminal miniseires The Roubal Case inspired by the truth story of serial killer named Ivan Roubal or comedy series Sex O'Clock.[15][16]

On February 25, 2025, it was announced that Voyo would be merged with O2 TV in the Czech market under the new brand name Oneplay.[17]

## CME Content Academy

[edit]

In 2022 Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. launched CME Content Academy. The two-year course is designed to provide participants with a foundation across various film-making disciplines, enabling students to become TV professionals.[18]

The practice is divided according to the production scheme of TV Nova, POP TV, PRO TV, bTV, RTL and TV Markíza and takes place in Brno, Prague, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Bucharest, Sofia and Bratislava.

## CME Cares

[edit]

In 2023, CME launched its ESG strategy branded CME Cares. This initiative was created to communicate CME’s efforts to leave a lasting positive impact on its environment, communities, and societies. CME Cares aims to offer socially responsible content, implement sustainable production practices, aid underprivileged communities, and follow transparent business practices.[19]

## Television channels

[edit]

Bulgaria

* bTV
* bTV Cinema
* bTV Comedy
* bTV Action
* bTV Story
* Ring

Croatia

* RTL
* RTL 2
* RTL Kockica
* RTL Living
* RTL Crime
* RTL Passion
* RTL Adria
* RTL Croatia World

Czech Republic

* TV Nova
* Nova Cinema
* Nova Action
* Nova Fun
* Nova Gold
* Nova Lady
* Nova Sport 1
* Nova Sport 2
* Nova Sport 3
* Nova Sport 4
* Nova Sport 5
* Nova Sport 6
* Nova International

Romania and Moldova

* Pro TV (also broadcast in the Republic of Moldova as a simulcast feed)
* Acasă (also broadcast in the Republic of Moldova as a simulcast feed)
* Acasă Gold
* Pro Arena
* Pro Cinema
* Pro TV International
* Pro TV Chisinau

Slovakia

* Markíza
* Markíza Doma
* Markíza Dajto
* Markíza Krimi
* Markíza Klasik
* Markíza International

Slovenia

* Pop TV
* Kanal A
* Brio
* Oto
* Kino
* Astra

## VOD services

[edit]

* Voyo

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "CME Form 10-K filed February 9, 2016" (PDF).
2. ^ "PPF Group buys CME, puts Stoessel in charge". Broadband TV News. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
3. ^ "History of Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. – FundingUniverse". www.fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
4. ^ "Time Warner Inc. Completes US$241.5 Million Investment for 31% Interest in Central European Media Enterprises Ltd., A Leading Central & Eastern European Media Company".
5. ^ Chamonikolas, Krystof. "CME Rallies as Time Warner Buying Shares Shows 'Confidence'". Bloomberg. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
6. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (28 October 2019). "AT&T Chief on HBO Max, DirecTV Sale Prospects and John Stankey's Future". Variety. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
7. ^ "PPF Signs Agreement to Acquire CME". www.ppf.eu. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
8. ^ "PPF Group buys CME, puts Stoessel in charge". Broadband TV News. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
9. ^ BIRN (22 February 2010). "Bulgaria: bTV Sold to CME in $400 Million Deal". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
10. ^ "Prodan RTL Hrvatska" [RTL Croatia is sold]. vijesti.hrt.hr (in Croatian). HRT. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
11. ^ "RTL Grupa prodaje RTL Hrvatska CME-u" [RTL Group sell RTL Croatia to CME]. www.rtl.hr (in Croatian). RTL Hrvatska. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
12. ^ "CME Acquires RTL Croatia". Central European Media Enterprises. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
13. ^ "CME website". CME website.
14. ^ Voyo osvaja regiju: Od sada i u Srbiji gledatelji mogu uživati u filmovima, serijama i dokumentarcima (in Croatian). Retrieved 8 April 2025 - via net.hr.
15. ^ Sex O'Clock (Comedy, Drama), Petra Buckova, Jan Révai, Jana Svandová, Cinebonbon, TV Nova, 10 March 2023, retrieved 8 April 2025`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: others (link)
16. ^ "The best movies and series on Voyo". LSA Magazine. 27 December 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
17. ^ Sedláčková, Daniela (25 February 2025). "VOYO AND O2TV WILL END. ONEPLAY WILL COME INSTEAD". ScreenVoice.cz – The Power of Total Video. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
18. ^ "CME Content Academy". CME Content Academy. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
19. ^ Hrivnáková, Lenka (31 May 2023). "ESG INITIATIVE CME CARES WILL BE LED BY SOŇA SCHWARZOVÁ AND HANA DE GOEIJ". ScreenVoice.cz – The Power of Total Video. Retrieved 8 April 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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PX companies of the Czech Republic

* CETV
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* Erste Group Bank
* Kofola ČeskoSlovensko
* Komerční banka
* O2 C.R.
* Pegas Nonwovens
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