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Sweden – (E1) Media ownership concentration national level

Score in short:

The previously existing oligopoly situation continues to be in place.

Score in detail:

Sweden has no law against media ownership concentration. In the newspapers market, there are three dominant players: Bonnier (Dagens Nyheter, Expressen, Sydsvenskan,Mittmedia), Schibsted (Aftonbladet, Svenska Dagbladet), and Polaris (Göteborgs-Posten and regional newspapers). Bonnier is the biggest owner group, and its business interests have expanded significantly in other parts of the country outside Stockholm. However, there is intense market competition between print and digital newspapers from different owner groups, both between national morning dailies and between national tabloids. Overall figures show gradually increasing owner concentration in the newspaper market (see Table 5).

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The national radio market is traditionally dominated by public service radio, even though a few national private radio stations have been established in recent years. The national television market has four dominant players: Sveriges Television, SVT (public service); Telia(TV4 AB); Nent(Nordic Entertainment Group); and Discovery. They control a major part of the television market in terms of audience market shares (see Table 6).

[supsystic-tables id=45]

To conclude, levels of owner concentration on the national level are relatively high in most media sectors in Sweden. Still, national newspapers, radio stations, and television companies face competition, and alternative news sources are available for the audience.