THE US company Central European Media Enterprises (CME) has acquired the last one-fifth stake in TV Markíza, becoming its exclusive owner.
CME bought the 20-percent stake from Media Invest, owned by Slovak entrepreneurs Ján Kováčik and Milan Fiľo, for Sk1.9 billion (€57.3 million), CME told the ČTK newswire on July 13.
"Increasing ownership in our core stations remains a key strategic objective for CME," said CME CEO Michael Garin. "TV Markíza is an outstanding asset and I am pleased we have achieved another significant step in the execution of our strategy."
"CME has been interested in the deal for a long time and I think that now was the right time," said Kováčik.
TV Markíza is the most watched channel in Slovakia, with a market share of over one-third.
CME also operates channels in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Romania and Ukraine.
