The new leading regional telco group, which is in majority ownership of investment fund Mid Europa Partners and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), includes the biggest cable operators in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, SBB Srbija and Telemach B&H, the region's biggest satellite platform Total TV and some 15 small operators.

According to Šter, who is also a United Group management member, the group's team has been compiled of the best from all the companies that are part of the group.

The content offered in individual states will be localised, according to language and TV viewing habits, he added.

As one of the first benefits that will be felt by users of Telemach, Šter listed free phone calls between the group's operators in Slovenia, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina as of May.

Mid Europa Partners entered the region in 2007 with a takeover of SBB, followed by the investment in Telemach in 2009 and further expansion across the region.

Robert Knorr, a senior partner of Mid Europa Partners, said the regional companies in their ownership had been working together for years, but that joining them under the wing of United Group with its own management would bring greater synergies and increase the financing and investment potential.