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{{Short description|Swedish media company}}
{{Redirect2|TV4 Group|TV4-gruppen|the company that functions as a media holding company since 2016|TV4 Media}}
{{Infobox company
| name = TV4 AB
| logo = TV4sweden logo.svg
| logo_size = 150px
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| genre = 
| foundation = {{sda|1984}}
| founder = 
| location_city = [[Stockholm]]
| location_country = Sweden
| location = 
| locations = 
| area_served = 
| key_people = [[Mathias Berg]] ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]]) <ref>{{cite news |title=Mathias Berg to lead reorganisation of Telia's TV business |url=https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2022/10/13/telia-company-appoints-mathias-berg-as-svp-head-of-tv-media/ |accessdate=13 October 2022 |agency=Broadband TV News |date=13 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Telia Company today announces the appointment of Mathias Berg as SVP, Head of TV & Media |url=https://www.teliacompany.com/en/news/press-releases/2022/10/telia-company-today-announces-the-appointment-of-mathias-berg-as-svp-head-of-tv--media/ |accessdate=13 October 2022 |agency=Telia Company |date=13 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
| industry = Media
| products = 
| services = Broadcasting
| revenue = {{increase}} 3,86 Billion [[Swedish krona|SEK]] ''(2012)''<ref>{{cite web | title = Bokslut & Nyckeltal – TV4 Aktiebolag | url = http://www.allabolag.se/5562427152/bokslut | publisher = AllaBolag.se}}</ref>
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| assets = 
| owner = 
| num_employees = 330
| parent = [[TV4 Media]] {{Small|(2016–present)}}
| divisions = 
| subsid = 
| slogan = 
| homepage = 
| footnotes = 
}}
'''TV4 AB''' (formerly '''Nordisk Television AB'''; previously [[Trade name|traded as]] '''{{Lang|sv|TV4-gruppen}}''') is a Swedish media company owned by [[Schibsted]] through [[TV4 Media]] (formerly known as Bonnier Broadcasting). The company owns the largest commercial [[television]] channel in [[Sweden]], [[TV4 (Swedish TV channel)|TV4]].

From 2007 until 2019, TV4 AB was owned by [[Bonnier Group|Bonnier]], with Bonnier Broadcasting AB being its parent since 2016. The stock used to be traded at the [[Stockholm Stock Exchange]] (OM), but was removed from the OM when Bonnier took full control of the company.

On 20 July 2018, Telia Company announced the acquisition proposal of the Bonnier Broadcasting, which includes this company, for 9.2 billion SEK (roughly US$1 billion). The acquisition was completed on 2 December 2019.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Telia Company acquires Bonnier Broadcasting |url=https://www.teliacompany.com/en/news/press-releases/2018/7/telia-company-acquires-bonnier-broadcasting/ |access-date=21 March 2019 |publisher=[[Telia Company]] |date=2018-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Bonnier AB Sells Bonnier Broadcasting to Telia |url=https://www.bonnier.com/en/pressreleases/bonnier-sells-broadcasting |access-date=21 March 2019 |publisher=[[Bonnier AB]] |date=July 20, 2018 |archive-date=7 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307215245/https://www.bonnier.com/en/pressreleases/bonnier-sells-broadcasting |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.teliacompany.com/en/news/press-releases/2019/12/telia-company-completes-acquisition-of-bonnier-broadcasting/|title=Telia Company completes acquisition of Bonnier Broadcasting|website=www.teliacompany.com|language=en|access-date=2019-12-04}}</ref>

On 25 February 2025, Schibsted Media announced the acquisition proposal of the TV4 Media for 6.55 billion SEK.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nordic Schibsted to acquire commercial broadcaster MTV |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20145811 |accessdate=30 July 2025 |work=Yle News |date=25 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Schibsted Media agrees to acquire TV4 in Sweden and MTV in Finland from Telia Company |url=https://schibsted.com/news/schibsted-media-agrees-to-acquire-tv4-in-sweden-and-mtv-in-finland-from-telia-company/ |accessdate=30 July 2025 |work=Schibsted Media |date=25 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref> The acquisition was completed on July 1, 2025.<ref>{{cite news |title=Schibsted Media agrees to acquire TV4 in Sweden and MTV in Finland from Telia Company |url=https://schibsted.com/news/schibsted-completes-acquisition-of-tv4-and-mtv-from-telia-company/ |accessdate=30 July 2025 |work=Schibsted |date=1 July 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

== History ==
The company was founded in 1984 by Ingemar Leijonborg and Gunnar Bergvall as ''Nordisk Television AB'' ("Nordic Television"). They intended to start a Swedish commercial television channel.

It took several years for Leijonborg and Bergvall to find someone willing to invest in their channel, but it was eventually launched on 15 September 1990 as "TV4", broadcasting from the [[Tele-X]] satellite. A Norwegian sister channel, [[TV4 Norge|TV4 Norway]], was also launched, but was sold a few years later.

At the time, it was clear that the government intended to launch a third terrestrial station and that it would be commercially funded. The two main competitors for the new channel were Nordisk Television and [[Kinnevik]] (owners of [[TV3 (Sweden)|TV3]]). Eventually it was Nordisk Television who got the license since Kinnevik agreed to withdraw their application. In exchange, Kinnevik bought 30 percent of Nordisk Television and a company called [[:sv:Airtime AB|Airtime AB]] was set up to sell advertising in TV3 and TV4, giving Kinnevik control of almost all television advertising in Sweden. TV4 could start broadcasting terrestrially in the spring of 1992. Nordisk Television discontinued the Airtime agreement in 1993, a decision followed by years of discussion between Kinnevik and the other owners of the company.

Nordisk Television started trading on the [[Stockholm Stock Exchange]] in 1994 and changed its legal name to ''TV4 AB''.

With the terrestrial license followed an obligation to give some airtime to different local companies. This would regularly be owned by the TV4 Group in conjunction with local investors and media companies. With the start of [[:sv:TV4 Uppland|TV4 Uppland]] the number of regional stations reached sixteen. Eventually, the TV4 Group started buying local stations and in 2001 they owned all but one, [[:sv:TV4 Fyrstad|TV4 Fyrstad]], which went bankrupt in 2003. The TV4 Group then merged all regional stations into a single entity, ''TV4 Sverige AB''.

TV4 started broadcasting in the [[digital terrestrial television]] network in 1999. In 2001, the TV4 Group started an experimental interactive channel called [[:sv:Mediteve|Mediteve]] using the space on the digital multiplex. In 2003, a general entertainment channel called [[TV4 Plus]] was started. It was followed by [[TV4 Film]] in 2004, and TV400 and [[TV4 Fakta]] in 2005.

For several years, the TV channels of the TV4 AB wasn't a part of Kinnevik's digital satellite platform [[Viasat (Nordic television service)|Viasat]]. However, in April 2005, TV4 Plus, TV4 Film and TV400 were launched on Viasat (the TV4 Group channel had to wait until 2006 due to contracts with the [[Canal Digital]] platform).

In the digital television franchise round of 2006, the TV4 Group applied for three new digital channels, but none of them were given a license. They did however launch two new channels in November 2006: [[TV4 Komedi]] and [[TV4 Guld]].

In May 2006, the TV4 AB bought 51 percent of the sports channel [[TV4 Sport|Sport-Expressen]] from the newspaper Expressen. The ownership was increased to 66.2 percent in May 2007 and the channel was relaunched as TV4 Sport in September 2007.<ref>[http://tv4.se/552491.html TV4 Sport - Sveriges nya sportkanal], press release.</ref>

In November 2006, it was announced that Bonnier and [[Proventus]] would buy the share in the TV4's operating company that was then held by [[Schibsted]]. The deal was approved in December 2006, making the TV4 almost entirely owned by Nordic Broadcasting Oy, a company owned jointly by Bonnier and Proventus. Proventus sold its shares in Nordic Broadcasting to Bonnier in March 2007, making it a fully owned subsidiary of Bonnier.

[[File:TV4-gruppen logo.svg|thumb|right|The company's previous logo as {{Lang|sv|TV4-gruppen}}]]
In early 2008, the company adopted its [[trade name]], {{Lang|sv|TV4-gruppen}} ({{Literal translation|TV4 Group}}).

== Businesses ==
TV4 AB operates the following television channels:
* [[TV4 (Swedish TV channel)|TV4]]
* [[Sjuan]], formerly ''TV4 Plus'', launched in March 2003 broadcasting sport, games and entertainment, but has since changed focus and since at least 2018 and as of 2021 broadcasts mostly crime drama series and some travel shows, reality shows and documentaries, and on weekends also movies.
* [[TV4 Film]], launched in April 2004 broadcasting uninterrupted movies.
* [[TV4 Fakta]], launched in September 2005, originally planned as a news channel, but eventually becoming a channel only broadcasting documentaries.
* [[TV4 Guld]], launched in November 2006. This channel airs classic [[TV show]]s.
* [[TV4 HD (Sweden)|TV4 HD]], launched in May 2007, [[high-definition television|high-definition]] simulcast of TV4.
* [[TV12 (Sweden)|TV12]], launched 4 May 2012 as ''TV4 Sport Xtra'', changed to ''TV12'' 29 March 2014. Airs mostly reality shows and some entertainment and drama, and occasionally sport, and on weekends also movies.
* {{interlanguage link|TV4 Sportkanalen|lt=TV4 Sportkanalen|sv|TV4 Sportkanalen}}
* TV4 Stars
* [[TV4 Hits]]
* [[SF-kanalen]] 
* TV4 Fotboll
* [[TV4 Hockey]]
* TV4 Motor
* TV4 Tennis
* TV4 Sport Live

The company also owns ''TV4 Sverige AB'' that owns all the 25 local stations (of which 13 were defunct in 2014 with 140 people laid off and the rest producing national news only<ref>{{cite web|last1=Billengren|first1=Astrid|title=TV4 lägger ned lokala nyheter|trans-title=TV4 shuts down local news|url=https://www.tv4.se/artikel/5344f8d4c45948a36b000019/tv4-lagger-ned-lokala-nyheter|website=TV4|access-date=1 November 2021|language=sv|date=2014-04-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Amster|first1=Harry|title=TV4 lägger ner de lokala nyheterna|trans-title=TV4 shuts down the local news|url=https://www.svd.se/tv4-lagger-ner-de-lokala-nyheterna|access-date=1 November 2021|language=sv|work=[[Svenska Dagbladet]]|agency=TT|publisher=Schibsted|date=2014-04-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Dalén|first1=Karl|title=TV4 lägger ner de lokala nyheterna|trans-title=TV4 shuts down the local news|url=https://www.gp.se/ekonomi/tv4-lägger-ner-de-lokala-nyheterna-1.463017|access-date=1 November 2021|language=sv|work=[[Göteborgs-Posten]]|agency=TT|publisher=Stampen Media|date=9 Apr 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=TV4 slutar med lokala nyheter|trans-title=TV4 stops with local news|url=https://8sidor.se/kultur/2014/04/tv4-slutar-med-lokala-nyheter/|access-date=1 November 2021|work=8 Sidor|date=9 April 2014|language=sv}}</ref> Local news had moved to web only in 2013<ref>{{cite news|title=TV4:s lokala nyheter flyttar in på webben|trans-title=TV4's local news moves to the web|url=https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/5481044|access-date=1 November 2021|work=[[Sveriges Radio]]|date=21 March 2013|language=sv}}</ref>) and ''TV4 Digitala Medier'' that includes the TV4 Groups Text-TV (defunct as of 17 September 2019<ref>{{cite web|title=Text-tv data upphör|url=https://www.tv4.se/artikel/5d711240cf4a376db803b64e/text-tv-data-upphor|website=TV4|access-date=1 November 2021|language=sv|date=6 Sep 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Text-TV på TV4 försvinner|url=https://www.ljungby-energi.se/2019/09/24/text-tv-pa-tv4-forsvinner/|website=Ljungby energi|access-date=1 November 2021|language=sv|date=24 September 2019}}</ref>) and internet services like the websites tv4.se, {{interlanguage link|nyheterna.se|sv}} (redirecting to tv4.se as of at least 2021) and {{interlanguage link|Fotbollskanalen|sv|Fotbollskanalen.se}}, and on-demand service {{interlanguage link|TV4 Play|sv}}. The TV4 Group is also involved in the selling of merchandising, DVDs, CDs, magazines and books relating to the television programmes.

;Defunct
* [[TV4 Science fiction]], launched in February 2008 broadcasting [[science fiction]], closed in 2012.
*[[TV4 Komedi]], launched in November 2006. Focused on [[comedy|comedies]].
*[[TV4 News]], launched in January 2012 broadcasting news, closed in 2013.
*[[TV4 Sport]] (66.2% ownership), sports station in conjunction with daily tabloid [[Expressen]].

== Availability of channels ==
Laws in Sweden state that all television operators must carry the [[analog television|analogue]] version of TV4 (until 31 January 2008). As of 2005, TV4 is transmitted [[free-to-air]] on the digital terrestrial network while TV4 Plus, TV4 Film, TV400 and TV4 Fakta require subscription from [[Boxer TV Access|Boxer]], [[Canal Digital]] or Viasat via satellite, or cable TV from several cable networks, including [[Tele2Vision]], [[Com Hem]] and [[Canal Digital]]. TV4 Plus is available in analogue form via most cable TV networks, while the others are mostly digital-only.

{{See also|List of Swedish television channels}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.tv4.se/ TV4]

{{TeliaSonera}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mass media companies of Sweden]]
[[Category:Television networks in Sweden]]
[[Category:Television in Sweden]]
[[Category:Television in Denmark]]
[[Category:TV4 AB|*]]
[[Category:Swedish companies established in 1984]]