Talpa TV
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam , Netherlands |
| Products | Television channels (SBS6, Net5, Veronica, SBS9), VOD platform KIJK |
| Owner | Talpa Network |
Talpa TV—previously known as SBS Broadcasting B.V.—is a Dutch commercial broadcaster owned by John de Mol's Talpa Network.
History
The company began its operations in 1995 by launching SBS6, marking the Netherlands' third commercial television channel after RTL 4 and RTL 5. Four years later, in 1999, it introduced a second channel, Net5, designed to compete with the Dutch public broadcasting system. In 2001, the group expanded by acquiring Fox from News Corporation, which was subsequently rebranded as V8. This channel shared daytime programming with Fox Kids. The acquisition was linked to the Veronica brand, which had departed from Holland Media Groep and was seeking new alliances. Eventually, Veronica joined forces with SBS Broadcasting, leading to V8’s transformation into Veronica. In exchange, Veronica obtained a 10% stake in SBS’s Dutch operations along with licensing rights to its name.
In 2005, private equity firms Permira and KKR purchased SBS Broadcasting SA for €2.1 billion. That same year, Telegraaf Media Group (holding 27%) and Vereniging Veronica (10%) divested their shares in the Dutch division. Two years later, in 2007, ProSiebenSat.1 Media acquired the entire SBS Broadcasting group for €3.3 billion. The Dutch branch changed hands again in 2011 when Finnish publisher Sanoma acquired a 67% share, with John de Mol’s Talpa Holding taking the remaining 33%. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets approved this transaction on the condition that De Mol relinquish his 26% stake in RTL Nederland.
Following this ownership change, SBS Broadcasting launched the on-demand platform KIJK in 2013 and added a fourth channel, SBS9, in 2015. Sanoma exited the partnership in 2017 by selling its 67% stake to Talpa Holding for €237 million; concurrently, full ownership of Veronica Publishing was transferred to Sanoma. With ambitions to establish a dominant Dutch media conglomerate, De Mol founded Talpa Network in 2017 and rebranded SBS Broadcasting B.V. as Talpa TV. The channels were integrated as a vertical segment within Talpa Network’s portfolio.
Proposed merger with RTL Nederland
Following his acquisition of SBS Broadcasting in 2017, John de Mol sought collaboration with RTL Nederland, convinced that the Dutch market could not sustain two leading networks; however, RTL initially declined this proposal. Nevertheless, in June 2021, both RTL Nederland and Talpa Network announced plans to merge, pending approval from the European Commission and the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets. Under the proposed structure, RTL Nederland would own 70% of the merged entity while Talpa Holding would hold 30%. Notably, Talpa Entertainment Productions and Talpa Concepts would remain outside this consolidation. Both companies justified the merger as necessary to counteract increasing foreign media competition by creating a unified commercial Dutch media company focused on local content production. Critics argued that financial challenges at Talpa Network motivated the merger initiative. In January 2022, regulatory authorities postponed their decision to conduct a more thorough assessment of potential effects on pricing, quality, and innovation.
Television channels
- SBS6, the primary channel, commanded an 8.5% market share in 2020.
- Net5, catering primarily to highly educated female audiences, held a 3.6% market share in 2020.
- Veronica, oriented toward sports and male viewers, achieved a 3.4% market share in 2020; it shares daytime programming with Disney Jr. (previously Disney XD).
- SBS9, focusing on movies and series content, recorded a 0.9% market share in 2020.
VOD
- KIJK