According to the Bonnier-owned TV4's annual report, the improved performances of TV4's niche channels, TV4 Sverige (encompassing 16 local stations in Sweden), TV4 main channel combined with a continuous strong advertising market and lower licence fees contributed to the group's record year-end results. The share of TV4 group's Swedish advertising market reached 55%, in line with 2006's level.
For the second year in a row, TV4 was Sweden's leading single television channel in terms of audience share, with 21.2% of the overall viewing market. Total viewing time per person was the highest since TV audience research started in 1994, with 157 minutes per day in 2007. "TV4 channel's positive development on the viewing market and its reinforced position as Sweden's leading TV channel have over the past year, been of fundamental significance for the development of TV4 Group," said managing director Jan Scherman.
In terms of programming, TV4 Group secured rights to quality programmes such as the Nobel Prize ceremony, and its three year agreement with Svensk Filmindustri (SF) gave it free TV rights to several films to be released theatrically by SF over the next three years such as Sex and the City, and Burn After Reading starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovich. TV4 also cooperated with SF on the mega-film project Arn-The Knight Templar, and the two feature films and six-episode TV series will air on TV4 in 2008 and 2009.
In a recent groundbreaking deal, the first one to be signed by a Swedish broadcaster with a US major, TV4 also agreed with NBC Universal to get VoD and IPTV rights to some of the Hollywood studio's most popular series such as The Jerry Springer Show, House, and the comedy series 30 Rock which will be available on the channel's new VoD service TV4 Anytime.