Media conglomerate

A media conglomerate, media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies in various mass media; i.e. television, radio, publishing, motion picture, and the Internet. According to the magazine Nation, "Media conglomerates strive for policies that facilitate their control of the markets around the world."

These conglomerates exist in the Americas as well as Europe and Asia. Media conglomerates have become a standard feature of the global economic system since 1950.

Terminology

A conglomerate is a large company composed of a number of smaller companies (subsidiaries) engaged in seemingly unrelated businesses.

As of 2007, it has been questioned whether media companies actually are unrelated. The practice of conglomeration has been used for the sharing of various kinds of content such as news, film and video, and music. The media sector's tendency to consolidate causes formerly diversified companies to appear less diverse as a result. Therefore, the term media group may also be applied, however, it has not so far replaced the more traditional term.

365 Media Group

365 Media Group is sports media company employing over 100 people in Leeds, England and Cape Town, South Africa.

Between 2001 and October 2006, the company was known as ukbetting plc and grew through the acquisition of a number of businesses including: ukbetting.com Ltd, PA Sporting Life Ltd, the UK assets of the Sportal and Sports.com, TEAMtalk Media Group plc and Rivals Digital Media Ltd.

In January 2007, 365 Media Group was itself acquired by British Sky Broadcasting and the company now operates as a division of Sky Sports. Later that year, in June 2007, the company's totalbet and ukbetting gaming brands were absorbed into Sky Bet, Sky's own betting brand.

365 Media Group run a network of sports news and content websites, including TEAMtalk, PlanetF1.com, Football365, sportinglife.com and Sportal. The company is also involved in content syndication to other media owners and mobile network operators.

TEAMtalk

TEAMtalk.com is a football website based in Leeds since 1996 when it was launched by Bill Wilson's IMS PLC.

1+1 Media Group

1+1 Media Group is one of the largest media conglomerates in Ukraine. The General Director of the Group is Aleksandr Tkachenko.

Structure

1+1 Media Group comprises eight Ukrainian TV channels, 1+1, 2+2, TET, PLUSPLUS, 1+1 International, UNIAN TV, Ukraine Today and Bigudi. It also controls the online news platforms TSN.ua, UNIAN, Glavred.info, Telekritika and Dusia.

The structure of the group includes the production company '1+1 Production' which is responsible for the creation of in-house TV formats and the adaptation of international formats for broadcast on the several TV channels of the group, including reality and dating shows, talent shows, scripted realities, TV series, sitcoms, documentary and sports programs, original programs and information broadcasting. The production company not only covers in-house needs, but also works with external customers.

Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi has financial interests in the group.

Expansion out of Ukraine

After launching 1+1 International in 2006 (see section below), which is aimed at the Ukrainian diaspora, the group started its first attempt at gaining part of the international TV market by launching the English language Ukraine Today in August 2014.