Mediawan Thematics (formerly known as AB Groupe) is a French television channel business and audiovisual distribution group in the field of broadcasting that is owned by Mediawan.
History Mediawan Thematics had its roots under the name of AB Productions which it was founded in 1977 by Jean-Luc Azoulay and Claude Berda as a music production company, and in 1987 went into the world of television.
In 1991, AB Productions created their own music record publishing label named AB Disques who had published their own music videos.
In December 1995, AB Groupe launched their first television channel named AB Channel 1 (now AB1).
In July 1996, AB Productions announced that they've expanded their catalogue by acquiring Pierre Grimblat's French production company Hamster Productions and its parent company The Hamster Group which had merged with AB Productions to become the biggest French television production company with Hamster Productions becoming a subsidiary of AB Productions.
In July 1999, AB Productions announced that their co-founders Jean-Luc Azoulay and Claude Berda had professionally separated and had split the AB Productions company into two companies.
In late-January 2016, AB Groupe announced that they've acquired Pascale Breugnot's production company Ego Productions.
In January 2017, it was announced that French special acquisition group Mediawan had entered exclusive negotiations to acquire AB Groupe along with their channels and four production companies along with their own distribution division AB International Distribution from its co-founder Claude Berda who had a 53% stake of the company alongside media company TF1 Group who owned a 33.5% stake, for €270 million in order for the former to build a European premium content leader and an audiovisual production and distribution group. The deal could hand over AB Groupe's production companies and their distribution division to Mediawan. Two months later in late-March of that same year, AB Groupe announced that French special acquisition group Mediawan had completed their acquisition of AB Groupe along with their channels, four production companies and their international distribution division from its co-founder Claude Berda who had a 53% stake of the company alongside media company TF1 Group who owned a 33.5% stake with AB Groupe becoming a fully owned subsidiary of Mediawan, marking Mediawan's first step into the premium production and distribution activities.
On 11 October 2018, AB Groupe was rebranded to Mediawan Thematics after the purchase by Mediawan in 2017.
Television
Channel Country Category Information AB1 France Entertainment Pay-TV AB3 Belgium General ABX Belgium Entertainment Documentary Action France Movie channel Pay-TV Animaux France Documentary Pay-TV Automoto La chaîne France Motorsports Chasse et Pêche France Documentary Pay-TV Crime District Luxembourg Entertainment documentary Pay-TV Clubbing TV France Dance Music Pay-TV Science et Vie TV France Documentary Pay-TV Trek France Pay-TV Mangas France Teen Pay-TV Lucky Jack.tv Luxembourg Games RTL9 Luxembourg General Pay-TV Toute l'Histoire France Documentary Pay-TV XXL Netherlands Adult Pay-TV
Former channels
Channel Country Category Start date Close date Vidéoclick Belgium Youth 3 April 2007 29 July 2009 AB4 Belgium Entertainment 28 October 2002 13 September 2017 (replaced by ABXplore) AB Moteurs France Sport 26 March 1999 5 November 2018 (replaced by Automoto La chaîne) Encyclo France Documentary 6 June 1996 30 March 2015 (replaced by Science et Vie TV) Escales France 2 April 1996 2 February 2015 (replaced by Trek) Ciné Box France Movie channel 1996 (Ciné Palace) September 2002 24 August 2004 Ciné Comic France 2 April 1996 (Rire) 2002 24 August 2004 Ciné Pop France 21 August 2006 15 July 2007 Ciné First France 31 December 2007 30 September 2010 Ciné FX France 15 September 2002 31 July 2018 Ciné Polar France 2 April 1996 31 July 2018 Fit TV France Fitness 2 April 1996 15 October 2007 Musique classique France Music 2 April 1996 15 October 2007 Melody France 1996 10 April 1997 Nostalgie la télé France 10 April 1997 July 1999 RFM TV France 5 July 1999 March 2005 Golf Channel Luxembourg Sport 26 September 2010 1 September 2024 Ultra Nature France Documentary 19 May 2016 12 January 2023 'Zik France Music 25 April 1998 31 December 2007 France Courses France Sport 9 September 1996 25 April 1998 (replaced by 'Zik on AB Sat, and recovered by the PMU and relaunched as Équidia) AB Sports France 23 December 1996 May 1999 (sold to Pathé and relaunched as Pathé Sport) Onyx.tv Germany Music 6 January 1996 15 September 2004 NT1 France General 31 March 2005 June 2009 TMC Monaco General 19 November 1954 June 2009 Terranova Germany Documentary 15 September 2004 10 July 2007
AB sold many channels, notably the free national channels TMC and NT1 taken over by TF1 when they were the main shareholder of AB Groupe.
References
External links
BIS