Discovery completes SBS Nordic buy-out, announces management

Discovery Communications has completed its acquisition of SBS Nordic from ProSiebenSat.1 Group and announced the management team of its newly combined Nordic business. 

The US$1.7 billion (€1.3 billion) acquisition, first announced in December, adds 12 TV networks and a number of radio stations and digital brands to Discovery’s existing portfolio of eight brands in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, and establishes a combined regional business called SBS Discovery Media.

With the closing of the deal, Discovery announced that Henrik Ravn – who has served as CEO of SBS Nordic since 2009 – will take the role of president and MD of the newly combined SBS Discovery Media, which includes both Discovery’s and SBS’s networks and operations in the Nordics.

Filling out the SBS Discovery Media senior management team will be Christian Kemp as CEO Denmark, Jonas Sjögren as CEO Sweden and Finland and Harald Strømme as CEO Norway.

Hans van Rijn becomes business development director, Eivind Landsverk takes the programming and content director role and Quinton Holland was appointed chief finance officer.

Also on the senior team is Jan Andreassen, the leader of Discovery’s Nordic business, who will work closely with Ravn and the rest of senior management to counsel on operational and strategic issues for integrating the two teams. Finally, Darren Campbell from Discovery will serve as Vice President of Human Resources.

“The formation of SBS Discovery Media solidifies Discovery’s long-term growth in some of the most well-penetrated and stable TV markets in the world, while also expanding Discovery’s brand portfolio by adding scripted entertainment programming to the company’s suite of genres,” said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery Communications.

“This acquisition, along with the recent announcement of Discovery’s equity stake in Eurosport, is a continuation of a 25-year strategy of investing internationally to build the most extensive global footprint in media and extending our presence in key markets to support long-term growth and diversify the company’s offerings.”