DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
 

Finnish media company Sanoma Oyj (SAA1V.HE) said Friday it has submitted an offer to acquire German media group ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG's (PSM.XE) free-to-air TV assets in the Netherlands and Belgium, together with local partners.

In a statement, Sanoma said: "There can be no certainty that Sanoma will be selected for negotiations or that such negotiations would result in a transaction."

Sanoma declined to comment further on the offer or on the local partners it has joined forces with to submit the offer.

ProSiebenSat.1 Media has asked bidders for its Benelux and Scandinavian units to submit binding bids by the end of next week, people familiar with the situation told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday.

The business, formerly known as SBS Broadcasting, was put on the block earlier this year by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Permira, the private equity owners of ProSiebenSat.1 Media. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) is running the process.

Dutch media group TMG and Swedish broadcasting company Modern Times Group MTG AB (MTG-B.SK) have said they are interested in the assets.

Buyout firm Hellman & Friedman and former SBS executive and ProSieben management board member Patrick Tillieux have been working on a joint bid.

-By Niclas Rolander, Dow Jones Newswires; +46-8-5451-3102; niclas.rolander@dowjones.com