Pro-Sieben boss Habets wants to significantly expand the range of streaming platforms.
(Photo: dpa)
Frankfurt The head of the Pro Sieben Sat 1 TV group, who has been in office for six months, wants to convert the Joyn streaming service into the TV station’s “super platform”. Within 18 to 24 months, the monthly number of users is expected to double from the current four million, as Bert Habets announced to journalists on Tuesday evening.
Above all, the platform should no longer primarily be aimed at a young audience, but at all age groups. “We as local broadcasters need to position ourselves as those who are part of the daily heartbeat of society in terms of information and entertainment,” Habets said. So he hopes to get other TV stations to show their content about Joyn as well.
Habets is already in discussions with the public broadcasters ARD and ZDF to license their media libraries. The model is Austria, where the media libraries of the ORF can already be reached via Joyn. However, it is uncertain whether this will also work with other private broadcasting groups – above all the main competitor RTL. “In the short term, it is not likely that RTL will come along,” said Habets. However, it cannot be ruled out entirely.
First of all, for Habets, increasing the reach of Joyn is more important than generating profits. “We have to defend ourselves against global competitors, which means we have to invest,” said Habets.
The streaming offer should remain free for users and continue to only generate manageable revenues from advertising. After about two years, Pro Sieben Sat1 wants to rethink monetization options, as Habets said. With the help of artificial intelligence, users should be presented with content that exactly corresponds to their interests. New formats and partnerships with influencers are to be announced in autumn.
Former RTL boss Habets wants Pro Sieben to focus on entertainment again.
(Photo: dpa)
The Dutchman is skeptical about deeper cooperation with the two major shareholders MFE from Italy and PPF from the Czech Republic, both of which are also active in the media business. Collaboration is possible on advertising and streaming technology and sometimes also on the purchase of content that resonates both in German-speaking countries and in the regions where MFE and PPF are active.
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“But we’re very focused on local content, so there’s limited scope for collaborations,” Habets said. There are currently no joint working groups. Critical remarks on Habet’s strategy and the drastically reduced dividend are likely to come from shareholders at the annual general meeting later this month. Katharina Behrends, head of MFE Germany, is to be elected to the supervisory board at the meeting.
Pro Sieben Sat 1 is hoping for revenue in the second half of the year
Pro Sieben Sat1 is tackling the realignment in a difficult environment. The advertising business, which was weakening due to the recession, had provided the Munich group with a sobering start to the year. In the first quarter, sales fell by a good 13 percent to 816 million euros within the year. Operating profit collapsed by 52 percent to 53 million euros.
According to Habets, the economic downturn also weighed on the advertising business in the current second quarter, but not quite as much. “The first five months were very difficult. In June there was only a small gap compared to the previous year.” However, a recovery in the advertising markets can be expected in the second half of the year.
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At the same time, he wants to reduce costs. A new restructuring program is currently being negotiated with employee representatives. Habets said that significantly more jobs are to be cut than in the 2019 austerity measure, which lost 120 jobs.
There should be no cuts in the production of content, but there will be in administration and in the course of the full integration of Joyn. It was only in September that Pro Sieben took over the outstanding 50 percent of the company founded in 2017 together with the US group Warner Bros. Discovery.
No short-term separation from Parship
The former RTL boss Habets wants Pro Sieben to focus on entertainment again and will manage this area himself in the future. The previous entertainment board will leave the TV group in mid-July after 14 years in the group, as the company announced on Monday.
A short-term separation from the Parship Meet Group dating division and from other Internet activities such as Flaconi and Verivox is not planned. At the moment, the aim is to cut costs, said Habets. “2023 is the year to do your homework.” An IPO or a sale should not be considered until the second half of 2024 at the earliest.
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