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Sanoma in brief
Milestones
Sanoma was formed as a result of a combination merger on 1 May 1999, when newspaper publisher Sanoma Corporation, book publisher, Werner Söderström Oyj – WSOY, magazine publisher Helsinki Media Company Oy, and investment company Oy Devarda Ab merged. The Company was listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange as of 1 May 1999. In October 2008 SanomaWSOY name was changed to Sanoma.
ProSiebenSat.1 acquisition
On 20 April 2011 Sanoma agreed to acquire the SBS free-to-air TV assets in the Netherlands and Belgium from ProSiebenSat.1. The enterprise value of the transaction totals EUR 1,225 million. The acquisition of the Dutch activities is subject to the approval of the Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa). The entire transaction is estimated to be finalised during the summer.
The Dutch activities of SBS will be acquired together with Talpa Media so that Sanoma will have 67% and Talpa Media 33% of the shares in the joint company. In the Netherlands, SBS is the number 2 in the TV advertising market. Its net sales (2010) amount to EUR 316 million.
In Belgium, SBS operates in the Dutch-speaking market, where it is the number 2 commercial TV player. Its net sales in 2010 totalled EUR 88 million.
Divestment of Welho, acquisition of share of DNA
Sanoma got a view to the telecommunication business by changing Welho business to 21% share of the DNA telecommunications group. The selling price of the Welho business was EUR 200 million.
Welho is Finland's largest cable TV operator, providing versatile pay TV and broadband services. In 2009, Welho's net sales amounted to EUR 67 million and it employed 205 people.
Independent Media acquisition
Sanoma's latest big internationalisation step was the acquisition of Independent Media Holding B.V. and its subsidiaries (IMH Group) in spring 2005. Independent Media consists mainly of six operating companies in Russia and the Ukraine. Enterprise value of the seal was some EUR 142 million. The acquisition was finalised on 1 March 2005.
Malmberg acquistion
Internationalisation of educational publsihing began in summer 2004 when WSOY bought Malmberg Investments B.V., the publisher operating in the Netherlands and Belgium. Enterprise value of the deal was MEUR 221.9 million and it was finalised on 9 November 2004. However, Malmberg was consolidated with WSOY already as of 15 July 2004.
Rautakirja merger
The Group structure was clarified in spring 2003, when Rautakirja was merged with SanomaWSOY. The AGMs of the companies approved the merger plan in September 2002 and the merger was entered into the Trade Register on 1 March 2003. Rautakirja's operations were incorporated into a new Rautakirja Corporation which continued as before.
CIG acquisition
Sanoma's internationalisation began in summer 2001 when the Group bought the consumer magazine publishing operations (CIG) from the Dutch media group VNU. The enterprise value of the acquisition was EUR 1,250 million and the deal was finalised on 1 October 2001. In addition to market leader position in the Dutch and Belgian markets, the Group gained a solid foothold in CEE countries; a position which has since been further developed.
