United Group

United Group B.V.
Company type	Private
Industry	Telecommunications, Mass media
Founded	2007; 19 years ago
Founder	Dragan Šolak
Headquarters	Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Area served	Balkans, former Yugoslav territories
Key people	Stan Miller (CEO), Libor Vončina (Deputy CEO)
Products	Pay television, Internet connectivity, Fixed-line telephony, Mobile telephony, OTT services, Content creation, Advertising sales
Owner	BC Partners (majority shareholder)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article United Group, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025

United Group B.V. stands as a prominent alternative telecommunications and mass media operator across the Balkans, managing a variety of telecom infrastructures and media entities.

History

Formed in 2007 as a multinational entity registered in Luxembourg, United Group emerged from the consolidation of Serbia Broadband (SBB) alongside two Telemach companies based in Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group expanded with the inclusion of Telemach Montenegro in 2014, followed by the acquisition of Tušmobil in 2015. This acquisition marked United Group’s initial integration of mobile telephony into its cable service portfolio, establishing the company as a full-service telecom provider encompassing landline, mobile, television, and internet offerings.

Today, United Group holds the position of the largest alternative pay television operator within the former Yugoslav territories, supplying television, internet connectivity, fixed-line, and mobile communication services to a wide range of residential and commercial clients via cable networks, Direct-to-Home (DTH), and Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms.

In 2013, the group introduced NetTV Plus, an OTT service catering to the diaspora from the former Yugoslavia by providing Pay TV and telephony options. Beyond distribution channels, United Group diversified into content creation and advertising sales through its subsidiary United Media.

In March 2014, United Group was acquired by global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), which manages assets totaling $94.3 billion. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) also participated as a co-investor.

By September 2018, British private equity firm BC Partners began purchasing majority shares from KKR at a valuation of €2.6 billion; this transaction was finalized in March 2019.

On 24 December 2020, United Group declared its acquisition of Bulgaria’s Nova Broadcasting Group, with completion occurring by January 2021.

On 2 April 2025, United Group divested SBB to e& PPF Group for €825 million; concurrently, Sport Klub, Total TV, and Net TV Plus were sold to Telekom Srbija for €652 million.

Subsequently, on 17 June 2025, founder Dragan Šolak and CEO Victoriya Boklag were succeeded by Stan Miller as CEO and Libor Vončina as deputy CEO.

Technological development

In 2012, United Group became a pioneer by launching digital landline telephony services alongside debuting the first application designed for mobile TV viewing.

The company established United Cloud in 2016 as its dedicated center for technology advancement and software innovation.

September 2017 saw the launch of the Eon TV platform, allowing Serbian audiences to stream television content via smart TV applications. The following year introduced the Eon Smart Box—an innovative regional solution merging traditional television with Android applications and services.

Additionally in 2018, United Group collaborated with Fon Wireless to broaden its Wi-Fi network footprint, providing customers throughout the region access to more than 68 million global Wi-Fi hotspots.

Telecommunication platforms

As the foremost alternative pay television provider in the ex-Yugoslav area, United Group delivers comprehensive services including TV, internet access, fixed-line telephony, and mobile communication through cable infrastructure, DTH, and OTT delivery models.

The group operates under four principal brand names:

Telemach – delivering mobile, fixed-line telephone, internet connectivity, and television services across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Slovenia.
Nova – a Greek telecom provider offering mobile phone services, landline connections, internet access, and TV channels such as Nova Cinema, Novasports, and Nova Life, exclusively available via satellite subscription. Nova was formed following a merger with Wind Hellas, which United Group acquired on August 16, 2021.
Vivacom – Bulgaria’s mobile network operator providing fixed-line telephony, internet services, and television; formerly recognized as the country’s national telecom operator.

United Media

United Media integrates prominent Pay TV channels across the region, encompassing sports, movies, and children’s programming, alongside CAS Media, which specializes in targeted media purchasing throughout regional cable networks. Their channel lineup is accessible via cable, DTH, OTT platforms, and IPTV. In 2018, United Media expanded its operations by acquiring Direct Media, a regional advertising firm.

Advertising space

CAS Media holds the position as the foremost agency managing advertising sales for cable and satellite channels throughout the region.

Documentaries

General entertainment

Children’s programming

Pikaboo
Vavoom
Nickelodeon
Nick Jr. Channel

Movies

Cinemania
AXN
Cinestar
Cinestar Action
Diva TV
TV1000
Nova Max
Nova Series

News

N1, broadcasting in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia

Sports

Lov i ribolov

Legal disputes & criticism

After United Group completed the acquisition of Bulgaria's largest telecommunications provider, Vivacom, it became involved in litigation initiated by Empreno Ventures challenging Vivacom's ownership and transaction validity.

Further acquisitions by Vivacom of smaller regional companies provoked objections from the owner of Yettel Bulgaria and A1 Bulgaria, PPF, due to concerns about potential market monopolization in regions such as Ruse Province, Silistra Province, Varna Province, Razgrad Province, and Sofia. Vivacom refuted these monopoly allegations.

In August 2025, leaked documents released by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) disclosed a meeting between Stan Miller—who assumed the role of United Group CEO in June after appointment by majority shareholder BC Partners—and Vladimir Lučić, CEO of state-owned Telekom Srbija. The discussions reportedly centered on tactics aimed at undermining United Media’s operations, specifically targeting N1, one of Serbia’s remaining independent broadcasters.

Miller acknowledged that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić expressed dissatisfaction with certain staffing decisions but requested additional time to carry out planned changes.

External links