Central European Media Enterprises (CME)

CME’s operations include 43 television channels broadcasting to approximately 49 million people in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. 

CME pursues a strategy addressing to the global shift of consumer viewing habits from linear television to a subscription video on demand (SVOD) viewing model. It practices a windowing strategy aimed at maximizing monetization of its content across multiple distribution channels. CME leverages its traditional B2B business model where its revenues are largely driven by advertising and carriage fees, while growing direct distribution services to B2C SVOD customers. To execute its strategy, CME has embarked on complete digital transformation following its acquisition by PPF Group and aims to further its position as among the leading content producers across its markets in Central and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia). This large-scale investment in production is yielding a more diverse and innovative range of SVOD programming.

Extensive investment in local production is one of the principles underpinning CME’s continued growth. Locally produced content accounted for approximately two thirds of the total cost of content broadcast in 2021. In terms of acquired content, in 2021, CME acquired rights to broadcast high-profile European football matches in the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, the Euro 2024 and 2028 tournaments, the Bundesliga, La Liga, and Serie A, also CME launched two new sports channels. Live sports are set to be another catalyst for growth in the years ahead.

News programmes are an important element of programming, as they divert significant share and ratings to CME. CME’s award-winning news teams adhere to the highest standards of journalistic ethics. They are guided by CME’s editorial guidelines, which promote impartiality, decency, and independence.

SVOD has grown at an unprecedented rate in Europe, driven by consumers who have rapidly embraced technological advances. Investments in digitalisation and the Voyo platform have increased CME’s subscriber base significantly in its markets. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, subcriptions have quadrupled. This supports Voyo’s ambition to become the leading local SVOD provider and generate growth in the digital space. It is projected that the majority of CEE households will have two to three SVOD subscriptions within five years.

CME is the first media company from the CEE region to become a member of albert, the international industry authority promoting environmental sustainability in the television and film industry.

CME was founded in 1994 with the launch of TV Nova, a private television station in the Czech Republic. PPF completed its acquisition of the CME media group on October 13, 2020.

Information about CME Media Enterprises B.V. can be found here.