Mediawan Thematics

Last updated
Mediawan Thematics
Type DVB & internet
Country
Owner TF1 Group (2007-2017)
Mediawan (2017-)
Launch date
1977
Former names
AB Groupe
Official website
www.mediawan.com/en/publishing

Mediawan Thematics (formerly known as AB Groupe) is a French television channel business and audiovisual distribution group in the field of broadcasting that is owned by Mediawan.

Contents

History

Mediawan Thematics had its roots under the name of AB Productions which it was founded in 1977 by Jean-Luc Azoulay and Claude Berda as a music production company, and in 1987 went into the world of television.

In 1991, AB Productions created their own music record publishing label named AB Disques who had published their own music videos.

In December 1995, AB Groupe launched their first television channel named AB Channel 1 (now AB1).

In July 1996, AB Productions announced that they've expanded their catalogue by acquiring Pierre Grimblat's French production company Hamster Productions and its parent company The Hamster Group which had merged with AB Productions to become the biggest French television production company with Hamster Productions became a subsidiary of AB Productions. [1]

In July 1999, AB Productions announced that their co-founders Jean-Luc Azoulay and Claude Berda had professionally separated and had split the AB Productions company into two companies which were

In late-January 2016, AB Groupe announced that they've acquired Pascale Breugnot's production company Ego Productions. [2]

In January 2017, it was announced that French special acquisition group Mediawan had entered exclusive negotiations to acquire AB Groupe along with their channels and four production companies along with their own distribution division AB International Distribution from its co-founder Claude Berda who had a 53% stake of the company alongside media company TF1 Group who owned a 33.5% stake, for €270 million in order for the former to build a European premium content leader and an audiovisual production and distribution group. The deal could hand over AB Groupe's production companies and their distribution division to Mediawan [3] Two months later in late-March of that same year, AB Groupe announced that French special acquisition group Mediawan had completed their acquisition of AB Groupe along with their channels, four production companies and their international distribution division from its co-founder Claude Berda who had a 53% stake of the company alongside media company TF1 Group who owned a 33.5% stake with AB Groupe becoming a fully owned subsidiary of Mediawan, marking Mediawan's first step into the premium production and distribution activities. [4]

On 11 October 2018 AB Groupe was rebranded to Mediawan Thematics after the purchase by Mediawan in 2017.

Television

ChannelCountryCategoryInformation
AB1 France Entertainment Pay-TV
AB3 Belgium General
ABXplore Belgium Documentary
Action France Movie channel Pay-TV
Animaux France Documentary Pay-TV
Automoto La chaîne France Motorsports
Chasse et Pêche France Documentary Pay-TV
Crime District Luxembourg Entertainment documentary Pay-TV
Clubbing TV France Dance Music Pay-TV
Science et Vie TV France Documentary Pay-TV
Trek France Documentary Pay-TV
Mangas France Teen Pay-TV
Lucky Jack.tv Luxembourg Games
RTL9 Luxembourg General Pay-TV
Toute l'Histoire France Documentary Pay-TV
XXL Netherlands Adult Pay-TV

Former channels

ChannelCountryCategoryStart dateClose date
Vidéoclick Belgium Youth3 April 200729 July 2009
AB4 Belgium Entertainment28 October 200213 September 2017 (replaced by ABXplore)
AB Moteurs France Sport26 March 19995 November 2018 (replaced by Automoto La chaîne)
Encyclo France Documentary6 June 199630 March 2015
Escales France Documentary2 April 19962 February 2015
Ciné Box France Movie channel1996 (Ciné Palace)
September 2002
24 August 2004
Ciné Comic France Movie channel2 April 1996 (Rire)
2002
24 August 2004
Ciné Pop France Movie channel21 August 200615 July 2007
Ciné First France Movie channel31 December 200730 September 2010
Ciné FX France Movie channel15 September 200231 July 2018
Ciné Polar France Movie channel2 April 199631 July 2018
Fit TV France Fitness2 April 199615 October 2007
Musique classique France Music2 April 199615 October 2007
Melody France Music199610 April 1997
Nostalgie la télé France Music10 April 1997July 1999
RFM TV France Music5 July 1999March 2005
Golf Channel Luxembourg Sport26 September 20101 September 2024
Ultra Nature France Documentary19 May 20162022
'Zik France Music25 April 199831 December 2007
France Courses France Sport9 September 199625 April 1998 (replaced by 'Zik on AB Sat, and recovered by the PMU and relaunched as Équidia)
AB Sports France Sport23 December 1996May 1999 (sold to Pathé and relaunched as Pathé Sport)
Onyx.tv Germany Music6 January 199615 September 2004
NT1 France General31 March 2005June 2009
TMC Monaco General19 November 1954June 2009
Terranova Germany Documentary15 September 200410 July 2007

AB sold many channels, notably the free national channels TMC and NT1 taken over by TF1 when they were the main shareholder of AB Groupe.

References

  1. "AB Productions completes the acquisition of the Hamster group". Les Echos. July 26, 1996. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  2. "AB Groupe acquires Ego from Pascale Breugnot". Les Echos (in French). January 31, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  3. "Eccleston Joins 'Dead In A Week'; France's Mediawan To Buy Groupe AB – Global Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. January 19, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  4. "Mediawan Successfully Completes Its Initial Business Combination with Groupe AB". Business Wire. March 31, 2017. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2024.