Private Media Group

Private Media Group is an adult-entertainment production and distribution company whose roots lie in Private magazine, established in Stockholm in 1965 by Berth Milton Sr. The publication was presented as the first full-color hardcore magazine and became the foundation for a broader entertainment business built around the Private name. Although the company has often been associated with Spain in commercial descriptions and corporate activity, the brand's documented origins are Swedish. During the early 1990s, Berth Milton Jr. assumed control and expanded the business beyond print. Private began producing and distributing adult films and later developed an internet presence, making the company an early example of an adult-media publisher transitioning from magazines into filmed and digital entertainment. Its catalog came to include feature-length productions, series, video-on-demand services, internet distribution, mobile delivery, IPTV, DVDs, and hotel pay-per-view systems. The company also supplied adult programming to hotels internationally and operated branded television services including Private TV in Europe and Private Gold in Latin America. Private positioned itself around relatively high-production-value adult films and an internationally recognizable visual identity. Prominent releases and franchises associated with the label included Private Gladiator, Cleopatra, Millionaire, Chateau, and The Uranus Experiment. Millionaire, directed by Alessandro del Mar, was described as a particularly expensive production for its category, while The Uranus Experiment attracted attention because part of the project was filmed during a parabolic-flight microgravity experiment. The company reported receiving more than 130 adult-industry awards over several decades, including repeated AVN recognition and later international European awards. The company also experimented with adjacent consumer and digital businesses. In 1998 it introduced Private Circle, a designer clothing label, at the Cannes Film Festival; the line was subsequently renamed Private Clothing and supported by a Los Angeles boutique. In 2008 Private announced a three-year French home-video distribution alliance with Marc Dorcel. In 2009 it acquired Gamelink, Sureflix, and eLine, strengthening its video-on-demand, subscription, and electronic-commerce capabilities. These transactions reflected the industry's shift from physical media toward online delivery and platform-based monetization. In 2014 Private announced the online release of its historical image, film, and video archive dating back to the launch of the magazine in the 1960s through PrivateClassics.com. In 2019 WGCZ Holding, whose portfolio includes XVideos, acquired Private Media Group. The acquisition placed the Private name within a larger adult-digital-media ownership structure. Publicly available reference material does not establish the brand's current operating structure, headquarters, leadership roster, or whether all legacy channels and product lines remain active.

Private Media Group developed from Private magazine, founded in Stockholm in 1965 by Berth Milton Sr. The publication was described as the world's first full-color hardcore magazine and established the Private name in international adult publishing. Its initial business model was based on print circulation and the sale of photographic and editorial content. A major transition occurred in the early 1990s, when Berth Milton Jr. took over and expanded the company into filmed entertainment and online distribution. Private subsequently operated across several media formats, including magazines, DVDs, video on demand, IPTV, mobile content, internet services, and hotel pay-per-view programming. It also operated Private TV in Europe and Private Gold in Latin America, extending the brand from a publisher into a multi-channel content supplier. Private became known for feature-oriented productions with comparatively substantial budgets and elaborate themes. Its catalog included Private Gladiator, Cleopatra, Millionaire, and Chateau. The two-part Millionaire project, directed by Alessandro del Mar, was reported as having a budget of approximately $1.9 million in the supplied reference material. The Uranus Experiment, released in 1999 as a three-part science-fiction adult video, received unusual publicity because a portion was filmed during a parabolic-flight microgravity experiment. The company also accumulated extensive industry recognition, with reference material attributing more than 130 awards to Private productions and listing repeated AVN wins from the mid-1990s through the late 2000s, as well as a 2017 VENUS Award for Best International Label. The company explored brand extensions beyond filmed and printed content. Private Circle, a designer clothing label, debuted at Cannes in 1998 and was later renamed Private Clothing. A boutique was opened in Los Angeles, although the available reference material does not document the line's subsequent scale or current status. Private continued adapting its distribution model as digital delivery became more important. In August 2008 it announced a collaboration with Marc Dorcel, beginning with a three-year DVD distribution arrangement for France. In 2009 it acquired Gamelink LLC and Sureflix, both associated with video-on-demand distribution, together with eLine LLC, an e-commerce technology company. These acquisitions were intended to broaden the company's digital-media and online-commerce infrastructure. In June 2014 Private announced the release of a comprehensive archive of images and film and video scenes dating from the 1960s. The archive was made available through PrivateClassics.com and represented an attempt to convert the company's historical catalog into a digitally accessible product. In 2019 WGCZ Holding acquired Private Media Group. WGCZ is also associated with XVideos, and the transaction brought Private under a larger adult-content ownership group. The available reference material does not provide enough information to confirm the brand's current legal entity, management, headquarters, financial condition, or the continued operation of each legacy service.

• 2019

  Acquisition by WGCZ Holding

  [1]Private Media Groupen.wikipedia.org

  WGCZ Holding purchases Private Media Group.

• 2014

  Historical catalog moves online

  [1]Private Media Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The company announces online access to material from its archive through PrivateClassics.com.

• 2009

  Digital-media acquisitions

  [1]Private Media Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Private acquires Gamelink, Sureflix, and eLine to strengthen video-on-demand and e-commerce capabilities.

• 2008

  Marc Dorcel distribution agreement

  [1]Private Media Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Private announces a three-year French DVD distribution alliance with Marc Dorcel.

• 1999

  The Uranus Experiment is released

  [1]Private Media Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Private releases a three-part science-fiction production featuring footage created during a parabolic-flight microgravity experiment.

• 1998

  Private Circle clothing label launches

  [1]Private Media Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The company introduces a designer clothing line at the Cannes Film Festival, later renamed Private Clothing.

• 1990

  Expansion into filmed and internet content

  [1]Private Media Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Under Berth Milton Jr., the business expands beyond magazines into adult-film production and internet content.

• 1965

  Private magazine is founded

  [1]Private Media Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Berth Milton Sr. establishes Private magazine in Stockholm, laying the foundation for Private Media Group.

An internationally oriented, premium-leaning adult-entertainment label combining magazine publishing, feature-film production, licensed distribution, television channels, and digital content services.

• Magazine publishing · 1965

  Private magazine

  The original Private publication began in Stockholm in 1965 and formed the core of the brand's early identity. It established Private as an international adult magazine publisher before the company expanded into filmed and digital media.

• Adult film production

  Private feature films and video series

  Private produced and distributed feature-oriented adult films and serialized video projects. Notable titles and franchises included Private Gladiator, Cleopatra, Millionaire, Chateau, and The Uranus Experiment. The label emphasized elaborate themes and relatively high production values.

• Television channel

  Private TV

  Private TV was a branded adult television service associated with the company and distributed in Europe. Current availability is not established by the supplied references.

• Television channel

  Private Gold

  Private Gold was a branded adult channel serving Latin American markets. The available material does not confirm whether the channel remains active.

• Fashion and merchandise · 1998

  Private Clothing

  Originally launched as Private Circle in 1998, the designer clothing line was later renamed Private Clothing and supported by a boutique in Los Angeles.

• Digital archive · 2014

  PrivateClassics

  Announced in 2014, PrivateClassics was intended to provide online access to historical images, films, and video scenes dating from the 1960s onward.

• 2019

  Sale to WGCZ HoldingM&A

  Background

  Private Media Group was acquired within a consolidating adult digital-media sector.

  Action taken

  WGCZ Holding, the owner of XVideos, purchased Private Media Group.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition placed the Private brand under WGCZ Holding. Public reference material supplied here does not establish the post-acquisition management structure or operating footprint.

  Source

• 2014

  Digitization of the historical archiveProduct launch

  Background

  Private possessed a catalog extending back to the 1960s and sought to make that material available through a dedicated online service.

  Action taken

  The company announced the release of its archive of images and film and video scenes through PrivateClassics.com.

  Aftermath

  The supplied references do not document audience scale, revenue, or the archive's current availability.

  Source

• 2009

  Acquisition of digital distribution and commerce companiesM&A

  Background

  The company aimed to build scale in video-on-demand and online commerce as adult-media consumption shifted toward digital platforms.

  Action taken

  Private acquired Gamelink LLC, Sureflix, and eLine LLC.

  Aftermath

  The acquisitions were described as strengthening Private's position in digital adult-content distribution, but no financial or operating results are provided.

  Source

• 2008

  French home-video distribution allianceStrategy

  Background

  Private sought to strengthen its presence in the French home-video market through cooperation with Marc Dorcel.

  Action taken

  The companies announced a three-year DVD distribution agreement.

  Aftermath

  The available reference material does not quantify the commercial results or describe the arrangement after its initial term.

  Source

1. 1Private Media Groupen.wikipedia.org