Nordisk Film Acquires Largest Norwegian Cinema Chain Oslo Kino

The move comes less than a month after Nordisk Film s' biggest rival SF merged its cinema activities with Ratos' Finnkino to create the largest cinema group in the Nordic region.

Commenting on the deal sealed with Nordisk Film, Oslo Municipality's advisor for Culture and Industry Olaf Bjercke said during yesterday's press conference: "This is a historical day. The sale gives Oslo a long term and good owner. The company intends to turn Oslo into Norway's movie capital."
Allan Hansen, Managing Director of Nordisk Film also said: "For many years, Nordisk Film has wished to expand our activities in Norway. We are really happy that the Municipality of Oslo has chosen us to be the right future owner of Oslo Kino. We are looking forward to contributing to the development of Oslo Kino with our more than 100 years of experience and love for film."

Oslo Kino has seven cinemas/25 screens in the Norwegian capital and through its subsidiary Norsk Kinodrift AS, it also controls another eight cinemas outside of Oslo. The chain had a turnover of around NOK500 million in 2012 and three million visitors. Nordisk Film was already co-owner of Kino City Drammen in Norway's fifth largest cinema city. With the acquisition of Oslo Kino's cinemas, the Danish major now controls 28% of the Norwegian cinema market.

Nordisk Film is also co-owner of the Norwegian production companies Neofilm, Maipo Film, the leading film portal Filmweb.no, and the post-production company Nordisk Film Shortcut. Via the acquisition of Oslo Kino, the film group has added to its Norwegian film assets the cinema advertising company Media Direct Norge as well as the distribution company Norsk Filmdistribusjon. Meanwhile its parent company Egmont has sole ownership of TV2 Norge.

In Denmark the Egmont-owned film group owns 17 cinemas that had 6.1 million visitors in 2012.