What Sublime does

Sublime is a Dutch commercial radio station and media platform specializing in funk, soul, and R&B music, broadcasting from Amsterdam since 2012 and operated as a brand of Mediahuis Radio B.V., a subsidiary of the Belgian-Dutch Mediahuis media conglomerate. The station is built on a digital audio broadcasting infrastructure (DAB+) extended across four distribution surfaces: a dedicated iOS/Android mobile app, Sonos smart speaker integration, and global web streaming at sublime.nl. Its programming is anchored by named DJs (Jaap Brienen, Frank van 't Hof, Wouter van der Goes, Sven van Veen, Anoûl Hendriks, plus guest host Candy Dulfer) who deliver scheduled dayparts including morning, workday, evening, late-night, and weekend slots, supplemented by annual signature events such as the Soul Top 1000, Summertime Top 500, and Stevie Wonder Top 75 countdowns, and by a content partnership with the NN North Sea Jazz Festival.

The product is free-to-listen for end users; Sublime generates revenue through advertising sales (managed under the Mediahuis Radio portfolio, which also includes 100%NL, SLAM!, Sunlite, Nostalgie, and Radio Veronica) and through premium-rate SMS and phone contest lines (0909-9005000) tied to listener promotions. Audience reach is horizontal within the Dutch market and globally accessible via digital channels, targeting adult listeners aged 25-55 who value human-curated soul/funk/R&B programming over algorithmic playlists.

The business model is B2C advertising-supported broadcasting, with engagement metrics such as the Soul Top 1000 drawing thousands of annual listener votes and the North Sea Jazz festival coverage functioning as flagship content marketing. There is no public disclosure of revenue, and the station operates as a non-listed asset inside the Mediahuis group, with go-to-market executed through direct ad sales rather than programmatic self-serve.

Name

Sublime

Legal name

Mediahuis Radio B.V.

Website

https://sublime.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sublime is a Dutch commercial radio station and media platform specializing in funk, soul, and R&B music, broadcasting via DAB+, mobile apps, Sonos, and web streaming to Dutch listeners aged 25-55, and operated by Mediahuis Radio B.V.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

akta.pro primary industry

Music Discovery & Curation Platforms (Recommendations, Playlists) (MPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

On-Demand Music Streaming Platforms (MPAIADAA)

Keywords

• Radio broadcasting
• Soul funk r&b streaming
• Digital audio broadcasting
• Mobile radio app
• Curated music programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorship: Sublime generates revenue through advertising sales, with a dedicated advertising page (mediahuis.nl/adverteren/radio/) indicating direct advertiser relationships. The station offers advertising opportunities across its radio broadcasts and digital platforms.
2. Contests and Promotions: The station organizes promotional contests and prize games where participants can win prizes donated by advertisers and sponsors. Participation often involves SMS, phone calls to premium rate numbers, or app-based entry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sublime is a Dutch radio station specializing in funk, soul, and R&B music, operating under Mediahuis Radio B.V. It delivers curated, DJ-hosted programming via DAB+ digital radio, a dedicated mobile app for iOS/Android, Sonos smart speakers, and web streaming. The offering is anchored by signature shows (De Sublime Ochtend, Sublime Classics, Funky Friday, Candy's World, The Soul Kitchen, Evening Bites, Sublime Night Shift, Sublime Weekend, Sublime Sunday Chill) and annual listener-voted countdown events such as the Sublime Soul Top 1000.

Product overview

Sublime is a Dutch radio station operated by Mediahuis Radio, specializing in funk, soul, and R&B music. The station offers a unified listening experience through live radio broadcasts (via DAB+ and online streaming), a dedicated mobile app, and various curated playlists. The core product is the Sublime Radio station, supplemented by a portfolio of scheduled radio programs including morning shows (De Sublime Ochtend), daytime programming (Sublime Werkdag), afternoon shows (The Soul Kitchen), evening programs (Evening Bites), specialty shows (Funky Friday, Candy's World, Sublime Classics), overnight programming (Sublime Night Shift), and weekend content (Sublime Weekend, Sublime Sunday Chill). Special events include the annual Sublime Soul Top 1000 countdown. Listeners can access content via the Sublime website, mobile app, smart speakers, and DAB+ digital radio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sublime Radio A Dutch radio station specializing in funk, soul, and R&B music, broadcasting across the Netherlands via DAB+, online streaming, Sonos smart speakers, and a dedicated mobile app, targeting adult Dutch listeners who prefer curated genre-specific programming.
• Sublime Mobile App A mobile application for iOS and Android that allows listeners worldwide to stream Sublime Radio live, access playlists, view program schedules, request songs, and participate in contests.
• Sublime Soul Top 1000 Annual signature event in which Sublime broadcasts the top 1000 soul tracks as voted by listeners, airing continuously over a two-week period and driving deep audience engagement and brand loyalty.

Quantifiable outcome

• Soul Top 1000 attracts thousands of listener votes annually, broadcasting for two weeks straight
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NN North Sea Jazz FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2025Sublime provides extensive coverage of the NN North Sea Jazz festival, including programming announcements, artist interviews, and exclusive pre-parties and after-parties. The station positions itself as the definitive Dutch destination for jazz and soul music through this partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• FIP (Radio France): Radio France's eclectic music station playing soul, funk, jazz, and world music. Comparable as a public-broadcaster-owned curated music station with deep genre coverage and multi-platform streaming that mirrors Sublime's human-curation positioning.
• SiriusXM: US subscription-based satellite and streaming radio service with deep soul, funk and R&B channel offerings. Comparable as a large-scale, multi-platform audio entertainment company leveraging curated music channels and subscription/advertising hybrid monetization.
• BBC Radio 2: UK public broadcaster's mainstream music radio station with significant soul, Motown and R&B programming. Comparable as a large-scale, multi-platform music broadcaster whose curated soul content competes for cross-border listenership and advertiser budgets in similar genres.

Direct peers

• Jazz FM: UK-based soul and jazz radio station with multi-platform streaming (FM, DAB, app, web). Comparable to Sublime as a genre-specialist music broadcaster with curated DJ programming, listener engagement events, and app-driven streaming.
• NPO Radio 2: Dutch public broadcaster's flagship music station, mixing mainstream pop with soul, jazz and classics. Comparable to Sublime as a Dutch-language music radio station competing for the same listener hours and ad/sponsorship budgets in the Netherlands.
• 100% NL: Dutch commercial radio station owned by Mediahuis Radio (same parent as Sublime). Directly comparable as a sister station with identical ad-sales infrastructure, multi-platform distribution model, and DAB+/app streaming stack.
• Radio Veronica: Heritage Dutch commercial radio station under Mediahuis Radio. Comparable as a sister station with the same distribution platform, advertising infrastructure, and parent group governance.
• SLAM!: Dutch dance-music radio station also operated by Mediahuis Radio. Comparable as a sister station sharing the same parent, app platform, and ad-sales infrastructure, but targeting a different genre vertical (dance vs. soul/funk).
• NPO Soul & Jazz: Dutch public broadcaster's dedicated soul/jazz channel. The closest direct competitor to Sublime's soul/funk/R&B positioning within the Netherlands, competing for the same niche listenership and advertiser interest.

Emerging players

• KEXP: US non-commercial radio station specializing in curated, DJ-hosted music programming with global streaming via web and app. Comparable to Sublime as a curated, host-driven music broadcaster that has built community engagement and brand authority in a specific genre vertical.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Sublime_NL
• Facebookfacebook.com/SublimeNL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sublimenl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sublime