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ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE (officially abbreviated as P7S1, formerly known as ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG) is a German mass media and digital company that is based in Unterföhring, Munich. It operates in three segments: Entertainment, Dating and Commerce & Ventures. The company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| FWB: PSM | |
| ISIN | DE000PSM7770  |
| Industry | Mass media |
| Founded | 2 October 2000 |
| Headquarters | Unterföhring, Germany |
Key people |
|
| Products | Broadcasting, free-to-air and subscription television, television production, cable, dating, commerce, ventures |
| Revenue | €4 billion (2018)[1] |
| €348 million (2018)[1] | |
| €550 million (2018)[1] | |
| Total assets | €6.468 billion (2018)[1] |
| Total equity | €6.468 billion (2018)[1] |
| Owners |
|
Number of employees | 6,583 (2018)[1] |
| Website | prosiebensat1.com |
When KirchMedia GmbH & Co. KGaA became the majority shareholder in ProSieben Media AG at the end of 1999, ProSieben Media AG announced that they have taken 100% of Sat.1 SatellitenFernsehen GmbH, which was also part of the Kirch group at the time, and they merged in October 2000. The company controlled various TV channels such as SAT.1, ProSieben and kabel eins.
Collapse of the Kirch group and takeover by Haim Saban
The company nearly merged with KirchMedia GmbH in 2002, but the merger failed due to the insolvency of the Kirch group. The company's stock price crashed following the failed merger. In 2003, the company was bought out by P7S1 Holding, 25% owned by Haim Saban's Saban Capital Group and other investors, who got an 88% voting share.[3] Saban took over the TV channel group for €500 million. The remaining 12% belonged to Axel Springer AG. After the takeover by P7S1 Holding, the company was restructured and some TV shows were cancelled.
The company's TV channels, aimed at an age group of 14 to 49 year-old had a market share of more than 30% and earned a collective €1.8 billion in 2002, making a €21 million profit. In the same year, the company had over 3000 employees.
When chairman Urs Rohner left the company up to 30 April 2004 "at his own request", Guillaume de Posch, a Belgian, became the new chairman.
In 2005, Axel Springer Verlag offered to buy the company for €3 billion, but this purchase was blocked by the Federal Cartel Office and the Commission on Concentration in the Media,.[4] Springer announced to withdrew its offer on 31 January 2006.
Takeover by Permira and KKR
Haim Saban's shareholding was bought by Permira, a private equity company and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) for about €3 billion on 14 December 2006.[5] The shareholding was merged with Permira and KKR's other European media shareholding SBS Broadcasting Group from Luxembourg. SBS was made up of 19 private TV channels, 20 pay TV channels and radio stations.[6]
50.5% of the stock have got 88% of the voting rights. The rest – 49.5% – of the stock was listed on the stock exchange and in free float.
In the summer of 2007, ProSiebenSat.1 took full ownership in SBS for €3.3 billion[7] and became the second biggest television broadcaster in Europe with yearly revenues of €3.1 billion. On 16 July 2007, the company announced the reduction of 180 jobs (100 in Berlin and 80 in Munich) until 2009. On the same day, two boulevard shows at Sat.1 were cancelled. Subsequently, further news shows were also to be cancelled or downsized.[8]
On 10 December 2007, Axel Springer AG announced a complete pull-out from ProSiebenSat.1 and the sale of their holding consisting of 12% of common stock and preferred stock to KKR and Permira for €500 million.[9] This transaction was concluded on 16 January 2008. Therefore, the Lavena Holding 5, which was jointly controlled by KKR and Permira, got 5% of the common stock as well as 25% of the non-preferred stock.[10]
Upon the takeover of SBS by ProSiebenSat.1 in Summer 2007, KKR and Permira offered an option to the other owner, Telegraaf Media Groep (TMG) for 12% of the common stock if they renounce their right of preemption.[11] In June 2008, TMG announced going into the company without their right of preemption.[12] This deal concluded in August of the same year.[13]
At the end of 2008,[14] Guillaume de Posch left the company at his own request. On 1 March 2009, Thomas Ebeling became the manager of the company.
In October 2009, the TV channel group had debts totaling more than €3.4 billion and they only paid the taxes for the loan.[15] The group saved especially on program expenditures.[16]
On 12 January 2011, Permira and KKR announced the sale of 8 million non-voting shares, which made up 3.7% of the capital stock. After finishing the bookbuilding process (according to their own disclosures), they retained 53% of the capital stock.
On 20 April 2011, ProSiebenSat.1 sold their TV channels in Belgium and the Netherlands for €1.225 billion to an international media group led by Finnish company Sanoma. The sale concluded on 29 July 2011.[17]
On 14 December 2012, ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG announced the sale of its Scandinavian portfolio to Discovery Communications. Not included in the deal were the production companies, which were grouped into the Red Arrow Entertainment Group. With the proceeds, they wanted to pay off €500 million in debt as well as increase the dividend to about €5.60 per share (total of €1.2 billion). Besides, ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG wanted to reorganize their stock plan, so that all shares bought on the stock market could be traded.[18] The sale was completed on 9 April 2013 with a value of €1.325 billion.[19]
In the middle of February 2013, capital investors Permira and KKR started to sell all preferred shares in Lavena Holding 1, which amounted to 18%. The stock packet was sold at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange for close to €485 million (€24.60 per share). This way, all preferred shares or half of the capital stock were now in free float.[20]
Exit of KKR and Permira
At the Annual general meeting on 23 July 2013, the shareholders of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG decided to combine the preferred stocks and the KKR and Permira common stocks. In this way, only the entitled votes could be traded at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. KKR and Permira got only a minority by 44% of the common stocks, because the authorized capital contained 50% common stocks and 50% preferred stocks. The capital investors also decided with the Telegraaf Media Groep to sell their interest in tranches at the stock exchange.[21][22]
On 19 August 2013, ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG finished its stock exchange launch, so that future common stocks will be listed in MDAX and the exchange council doubles.[23]
At 4 and 6 September, Lavenda Holding and Telegraaf Media Groep sold 17 percent of their stocks to institutional investors. Therefore, the stocks packet of KKR and Permira decreased to 33 percent and the Telegraaf Media Groep sold their stocks package and weren't stockholders anymore.[24]
At the end of 2013, ProSiebenSat.1 announced the sale of its Eastern European holdings. The Hungarian TV channels were sold in a local management buyout. In Romania, all TV and radio channels were divested, except for Prima TV, which would be acquired by Romanian businessman Cristian Burci and accepted by the Greek Antenna Group. The takeovers were done in the first quarter of 2014. ProSiebenSat.1 acquired Gretzer Partners on Jan 2014 to expand its global media footprint.[25]
On 17 January 2014, KKR and Permira sold their last interest so they are not stockholders anymore.[19]
In February 2018, Thomas Ebeling left ProSiebenSat.1 and was replaced by Max Conze on 1 June 2018. In the meantime, Conrad Albert took over as interim manager.[26]
On 19 March 2018, the company was removed from the DAX stock market index, and instead listed on the MDAX.[27]
The entrance of Mediaset
In May 2019, the Italian Mediaset (Mediaset S.p.A.) invested 330 million euros to take over 9.6% of ProSiebenSat.1 without having a role in the management, later rising to 15.1% in November 2019. The transaction took place through the subsidiary Mediaset España, which acquired a 5.5% stake in the capital, which was added to the shares already in the group's portfolio. On 23 March 2020, Mediaset España purchased a further 4.28% of the share capital equal to 4.35% of the voting rights, bringing Mediaset's stake to 20.1% and showing the ambition to participate in management, thanks also to the 10% held by Czech magnate Daniel Křetínský, considered by analysts to have close ties to Pier Silvio Berlusconi,[clarification needed] in order to form a European pole of generalist TV.
A few days later, on 28 March, CEO Max Conze, always cold to a possible alliance with Mediaset, resigned surprisingly at the end of a very heated board of directors meeting. Rainer Beaujean took over in his place with the task of guiding the group to a return to its origins, thus aiming at generalist TVs and in fact disavowing the diversification in ecommerce launched in recent years by Conze.
Beaujean was the CEO of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE until October 2022, when he left the company "in agreement with the Supervisory Board" at his own request. Since 1 November 2022, Bert Habets, the former CEO at RTL Group's Group Management Committee holds the position.[28]
The key indicators of ProSiebenSat.1 are (as at the financial year ending 31 December):[29][30]
| Year | Revenue (€m) | Net Profit[lower-alpha 1] (€m) | Number of employees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 4,078 | 471 | 6,452 |
| 2018 | 4,009 | 248 | 6,532 |
| 2019 | 4,135 | 413 | 7,265 |
| 2020 | 4,047 | 267 | 7,128 |
| 2021 | 4,494 | 449 | 7,956 |
| 2022 | 4,163 | 5 | 7,501 |
| 2023 | 3,852 | –124 | 7,310 |
Seven.One Entertainment Group
Seven.One Entertainment Group is a German entertainment and holding company that it is a division of ProSiebenSat.1 Media
History
In June 2010, ProSiebenSat.1 TV Deutschland announced that they have sold their news channel Welt to the channel's bosses Torsten Rossman, Stefan Aust and Thorsten Pollfuss for an undisclosed sum along with ProSieben's production subsidiary that produces Welt's programmes Maz & More.[31]
German-language free-to-air and pay-TV channels
| Germany | Austria | Switzerland | US and Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free-to-air | |||
|
|||
| Pay-TV | |||
Former channels
sonnenklar.TV was sold to BigXtra in September 2005. The pan-Nordic C More Entertainment pay-TV operation (15 linear TV channels) was sold to TV4 in January 2009. 9Live was a commercial German participation TV channel launched on 1 September 2001 and lasted until 9 August 2011. Sat.1 Comedy was replaced by Sat.1 Emotions in 2012.
Seven.One Studios
 The logo of Seven.One Studios | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| ISIN | DE000PSM7770 |
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | January 19, 2010 |
| Parent | ProSiebenSat.1 Media |
| Divisions | Seven.One Studios International |
Seven.One Studios (formerly known as Red Arrow Entertainment Group and Red Arrow Studios) is a German film and television production and distribution holding company that is owned by ProSiebenSat1. Media that produces scripted and unscripted film and television content for ProSiebenSat1's channels and other networks internationally.
History
Seven.One Studios had their first beginnings when.
In May 2008, ProSiebenSat1.Media announced that they've launched a new reality television production company dedicated to light entertainment based in Munich named RedSeven Entertainment.[32]
In January 2010, ProSiebenSat.1 Media had announced that they're restructing their television production, distribution and developing business for their international expansion by creating a new television production and distribution holding company for their existing assets which was named Red Arrow Entertainment Group with the newly created company becoming an international acquisition vehicle and will launch and acquire TV production companies in other countries. ProSiebenSat1.Media's international television distribution sales division SevenOne International was moved into the new holding company along with ProSiebenSat.1 Media's existing television production companies.[33][34][35]
Two months later in March 2010, Red Arrow Entertainment Group had announced that they've acquired a 51% majority stake in leading Belgian television production company Sultan Sushi marking their first international acquisition and their first expansion into Belgium with the company's co-founders and CEOs Johan Tuyaerts, Caroline Vergauwen, and Jan Keersmaekers holding the remaining 49% stake in the company and will continue to lead the company under Red Arrow.[36]
In September 2010, Red Arrow Entertainment Group had announced that they have acquired a 51% majority stake in Los Angeles-based American production company Kinetic Content.[37][38]
In March 2011, Red Arrow Entertainment Group announced that they entered the British television industry by acquiring British production house The Mob, marking Red Arrow Entertainment Group's first UK acquisition.[39][40]
In September 2011, Red Arrow Entertainment Group had announced that they've acquired a majority stake in American scripted television production company Fuse Entertainment expanding Red Arrow's American operations and their scripted portfolio with Swedish producer Henrik Bastin joining Red Arrow's acquired company Fuse Entertainment as their partner and CEO of Fuse Entertainment along with the company's founder Danish-born Mikkel Bondesen continued operating the company.[41]
In March 2012, Red Arrow Entertainment Group announced that they have acquired a majority stake in British unscripted production outfit CPL Productions marking Red Arrow's first move into the British unscripted market.[42][43] Three weeks later on March 19 of that same year, Red Arrow Entertainment Group announced that they have acquired British scripted production company Endor Productions.[44][45]
In May 2012, Red Arrow Entertainment Group announced that they have acquired Israeli scripted and unscripted production company July August Productions.[46][47]
In July 2012, Red Arrow Entertainment Group had announced that their worldwide television distribution division SevenOne International had been renamed to Red Arrow International to reflect their parent company
In February 2014, Red Arrow Entertainment Group announced that they have acquired a majority stake in Maryland-based American reality television production company Half Yard Productions to expand their American operations with their founders Abby Greensfelder and Sean Gallagher continuing to run the company as their co-CEOs.[48][49]
The group includes Studio71, which was started in Berlin in September 2013 as a German-language multi-channel network by Sebastian Weil and Ronald Horstman and later acquired an American competitor, Collective Digital Studio.[50]
In January 2017, Red Arrow Entertainment Group's digital multi-channel and production subsidiary Studio71 announced that they have sold its 30% stake to the French TF1 and Italian Mediaset networks and announced that Studio71 was expanding their business by setting up their local operarions in those two countries by launching a French division in France and an Italian division in Italy.[51][52]
In November 2017, Red Arrow Entertainment Group announced that they had purchased a majority interest in Cleveland-based American independent film distributor of independent films and documentaries Gravitas Ventures with the distribution company Gravitas Ventures maintaining their management and staff and continues to operate independently and will cooperate with Red Arrow Entertainment Group's own international distribution operation.[53][54][55][56]
In December 2017, Studio71 and over 15 other companies were merged to create Red Arrow Studios.[57]
In July 2022, Red Arrow Studios had announced that they have exited the American television industry by selling their US division to Peter Chernin's new global independent production company The North Road Company.[58][59][60]
In November 2022 four months after selling their American television production outfit to Peter Chernin's The North Road Company and the creation of two German production companies, Red Arrow Studios had announced that their restructing their international production and distribution operations rebranding themselves to Seven.One Studios with their international distribution division Red Arrow Studios International continued using the Red Arrow Studios name and its operations., following the sale of subsidiary Red Arrow Studios' U.S. production arm to Peter Chernin-owned The North Road Company in July of that year and the creation of two German production companies, Cheerio Entertainment and Flat White Productions.[61][62]
In June 2024, Seven.One Studios had announced that they've shutting down their London-based British scripted drama television production company Endor Productions.[63]
Assets
Divisions and partial subsidiaries include:
- Cheerio Entertainment (Germany)
- Flat White Productions (Germany)
- July August Productions (Israel)[64]
- CPL Productions (United Kingdom)[65]
- Nit Television (joint venture with Harry Hill)[66]
- Snowman Productions (Denmark)[67]
- Endor Productions (United Kingdom)[68]
- Pyjama Pictures (Germany)[69]
- Redseven Entertainment (Germany)[70]
eCommerce
The company formed NuCom in 2018, and soon after sold a 24.9% stake to General Atlantic, a private equity firm.[72] In October 2018 Nucom bought eHarmony, an American dating website; it already held 94% of the similar German platform Parship.[72]
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