ProSiebenSat.1 targets €1bn in new revenues, Maxdome deal with Telekom

Thomas Ebeling

ProSiebenSat.1 has set itself an ambitious new target of realising additional revenues of €1 billion by 2018 compared with 2012 on the back of strong full-year results. The group has also struck a significant distribution deal with Deutsche Telekom for its Maxdome on-demand service.

The deal with Deutsche Telekom will give the latter’s Entertain IPTV customers access to the Maxdome service, which is already pre-installed on most smart TVs in Germany.

Starting in the spring of 2014, Maxdome’s video library can be accessed directly from Deutsche Telekom’s TV platform. Entertain customers will also have the chance to view attractive shows of ProSiebenSat.1’s TV stations free of charge.

In the future, Entertain customers will be able to view content from the media libraries of ProSieben, SAT.1, Kabel Eins, Sixx, Sat.1 Gold and ProSieben Maxx. The agreement covers hit archive TV shows including Danni Lowinski and Der letzte Bulle, as well as current shows including K11 – Kommissare im Einsatz, Germany´s Next Topmodel and Switch Reloaded on catch-up TV.

“For the first time ever, the ProSiebenSat.1 Group has entered into a major distribution partnership with Deutsche Telekom for Germany’s largest video-on-demand library, Maxdome,” said Conrad Albert, executive board member in charge of legal, distribution and regulatory affairs.

“Furthermore, Entertain customers will be able to view more than 1,000 shows from the media library of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group. This agreement represents the next logical step in making our content available on all kinds of platforms.”

The German free and pay TV group posted revenues of €2.605 billion for 2013, up 10.6% year-on-year, and recurring EBITDA of €790.3 million, up 6.1%.

The company saw strong growth in its core free-to-air market, while digital and adjacent segment revenue grew by a massive 45% to €483.7 million, accounting for 18.6% of total revenues.

ProSiebenSat.1 is extending its digital presence further by acquiring games publisher Aeria Games Europe, while will place the group among the top three players in tehEuropean online games market.

Revenues in the German speaking market grew by 3.7% to €1.998 billion, driven by higher advertising revenues and growth in its distribution business.

Revenues from ProSiebenSat.1’s production arm grew by 29.7% to €123.8 million.

ProSiebenSat.1 said that it now expected revenues to grow by a mid-to-high single digit percentage this year.

“We have set ourselves a new growth target for 2018. Compared to 2012, we want to realize additional revenues of €1 billion,” said Thomas Ebeling, CEO of ProSiebenSat.1 Group.

“ProSiebenSat.1 is one of Europe’s largest independent media companies and has attractive content and platforms which allow it to reach millions of people. The combination of the two provides us with opportunities that are available to almost no other company. We are therefore in an excellent position to continue the growth story of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group.”