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ProSieben
View on WikipediaProSieben (German pronunciation: [pʁoːˈziːbən], sieben is German for "seven"; often stylized as Pro7) is a German free-to-air television network owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media.
Key Information
It was launched on 1 January 1989. It is Germany's second-largest privately owned television company. Although ProSieben produces some of its programming itself, it also airs many American imports. On 3 May 2012, the network launched a pay-TV channel called ProSieben Fun. A third channel called ProSieben Maxx started broadcasting on 3 September 2013.
The three different feeds of the channel are: ProSieben (for Germany), ProSieben Austria (for Austria), and ProSieben Schweiz (for Switzerland and Liechtenstein). The main difference is that they have different advertisements and news for each target country.
The channel uses an English slogan: "We love to entertain you."
ProSieben broadcasts from the Astra 1P and 1N satellites and is uplinked by MX1 (now part of SES Video).
History
[edit]1988–1993
[edit]On 13 October 1988, ProSieben Television GmbH was founded as a successor to Eureka TV. The founding partners were Gerhard Ackermans (51%) and Thomas Kirch (49%). Shortly after, Kirch took complete control of the channel.[1]
On 1 January 1989, ProSieben began broadcasting nine hours of programming a day from Munich.[2] The CEO was Georg Kofler from South Tyrol.[3] ProSieben had 70 employees at that time and claimed to reach 2.44 million viewers.[2]
The station began broadcasting on the DFS Kopernikus satellite in July 1989. Broadcasting hours were gradually increased to 17 hours a day. ProSieben was also awarded the first terrestrial frequency in Munich for a private broadcaster. Starting on 8 December 1989, the station was broadcast via Astra 1A satellite.[2]
On 1 March 1990, the television station moved from Munich-Schwabing to Unterföhring near Munich. At that time, ProSieben had 120 employees. ProSieben has broadcast its programs around the clock since 1 October 1990.[2]
In 1991, ProSieben created a subsidiary called Teledirekt GmbH to promote the spread of satellite technology in Germany. In 1992, although ProSieben was still losing money, it co-founded a special-interest channel, Der Kabelkanal, with German Bundespost TELEKOM. ProSieben held a 45% share. Since initially the channel could only be received via cable connection, the channel helped attract new customers to for Telekom's cable television network. In 1995, ProSieben bought the channel outright and renamed it Kabel 1, and began broadcasting it on the SES Astra satellite.
In July 1992 MGM Media Gruppe München (Seven.One Media today) was established. It was responsible for selling advertising on ProSieben channels. On 24 September 1993, SZM Studios (broadcasting center in Munich, since June 2004: ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion GmbH) was inaugurated. At the end of 1993, ProSieben made a profit for the first time.[2]
1994–1999
[edit]
In 1994, ProSieben started a teletext service. On 24 October 1994, it started using a new station identity and logo. Turnover in 1994 was DM 1.192 billion (now about €786 million) and pre-tax profit was DM 144 million (today about €95 million). On 19 December 1995, ProSieben Television GmbH was transformed into a joint-stock company called ProSieben Television AG (after 1996 ProSieben Media AG, since 2000 ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG). Thomas Kirch remained the main shareholder and the Rewe Group was a co-shareholder[4] with 41.6 percent. The chairman was Georg Kofler.
In 1996, ProSieben was granted a nationwide broadcast license and launched its Internet site. That same year, ProSieben bought AT & TV Merchandising Concepts GmbH and Merchandising München KG. Sales rose to DM 1.69 billion.[2]
Wholly owned subsidiaries of Pro Sieben Media AG in 1998 (incomplete list):
- Asta Vista
- Starwatch Navigation
- MGM Mediagruppe
- Agentur für Urheberrechte
- Pro Sieben Business Communication
- Pro Sieben Home Entertainment
- ddp news agency
Advertising slots were added for Switzerland in 1997 and Austria in 1998. ProSieben Austria also had its own news broadcast (ProSieben Austria News, formerly ProSieben Austria TopNews). Together with RTL, ProSieben operated a combined slot in Switzerland, which was cancelled after seven months in the spring of 2000. In Austria, there is a program slot on ProSieben Austria, Sat.1 Österreich and kabel eins Austria, which has been continuously expanded. In cooperation with the Austrian station Puls 4, the three-hour morning show Café Puls has been broadcast on all three stations since 2004.
On 7 July 1997, ProSieben went public, the shares were oversubscribed 50-fold. This way a nonvoting preference was used to divide up the shares. A year later, the company was added to MDAX.[5] Berlin brought the inauguration of the DM 12 million ProSieben building in 1998. Kirch Media AG held 58.4% of ProSieben Media AG in 1998.
A news channel, N24 was started in 1999,[6] it went on the air in early 2000. ProSieben wanted to compete with n-tv, which was very popular, mainly because of the stock market boom, and enlarge its family of channels. N24 now has a bigger audience share than n-tv, but is no longer owned by the company. In 1998, ProSieben took over the news agency ddp.[7]
On 19 September 1999, ProSieben began broadcasting digital multichannel sound in Dolby Digital format.[8]
2000–2007
[edit]At the end of 1999, Thomas Kirch brought over his shares in KirchMedia, his father's company, which then made up the majority shares of Sat.1 and ProSieben-Gruppe. On 1 February 2000, the Swiss business lawyer Urs Rohner was appointed CEO of ProSieben; Georg Kofler, who was the CEO of ProSieben since its inception, resigned from the company. Urs Rohner had no experience in the television business. He was appointed at the request of Leo Kirch to legally secure the fusion between Sat.1 and ProSieben.
In March 2000, the ProSieben subsidiary SevenSenses was established, to which in June 2004 merged with the SZM Studios to create the ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion GmbH. On 13 October 2000, 12 years after the founding of ProSieben, the first shares from ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG were traded at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. In the following month, the merger of the marketing companies occurred between Media Group Munich (ProSieben) and MEDIA 1, creating SevenOne Media.
With the merger came the founding of the ProSieben Television GmbH, which operates the ProSieben television station.
Managing director of ProSieben was Nicolas Paalzow in 2000. He was succeeded in May 2004 by Dejan Jocic, who was then replaced in December 2005 by Andreas Bartl - who was previously CEO of kabel eins. In May 2008, Thilo Proff became chief of the station,[9] followed by Jürgen Hörner (April 2011).[10] Since August 2012, Wolfgang Link is the managing director of ProSieben.[11]
After 2003, the ProSiebenSat.1 Media belonged to a group of investors surrounding Haim Saban.[12]
In 2005, Axel Springer SE wanted to take over ProSieben for about €2.2 billion, which would have created the third-largest media group in Europe. This purchase, however, at the end of 2005 / beginning of 2006 was not authorized by the Federal Cartel Office and the Commission on Concentration in the Media. On 31 January 2006, Springer finally announced the failure of the takeover. Saban stuck to the intention to sell the channel. On 14 December 2006, the investment companies KKR and Permira took over a majority shares (50.5%) of the stock capital of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG and became new majority shareholder.[12]
In 2007, through the initiative of KKR and Permira, ProSieben bought the SBS Broadcasting Group,[9] for €3.3 billion and financed the acquisition largely through loans.[13]
Post-2007
[edit]On 12 February 2015, ProSieben launched a new on-air design, focusing on "new dimensions". Its slogan and sound trademark remained unchanged. The new look debuted at 8:13 pm, just before the premiere of season 10 of Germany's Next Topmodel.[14]
Programmes
[edit]Current foreign series
[edit]- 2 Broke Girls
- Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (Apartment 23) (reruns)
- Are You There, Chelsea? (2013–present)
- Brickleberry (reruns)
- Cougar Town (reruns)
- Empire (2015, 2017–present)
- Family Guy (reruns) (2002–present)
- Friends (reruns) (2000–present)
- Fringe (Fringe – Grenzfälle des FBI) (2009–present)
- Futurama (reruns)
- Gotham (2015–present)
- Grey's Anatomy (Grey's Anatomy – Die jungen Ärzte) (2006–present)
- How I Met Your Mother (2008–present)
- Last Man Standing (2017–present)
- Legends of Tomorrow (2016–present)
- Malcolm in the Middle (Malcolm mittendrin) (reruns)
- Man with a Plan (2017–present)
- Mike & Molly (reruns)
- Mom (2014–present)
- My Boys (reruns)
- Pure Genius (2017–present)
- Scrubs (Scrubs – Die Anfänger) (reruns)
- Siren (Mysterious Mermaids) (2018–present)
- Station 19 (Seattle Firefighters - Die jungen Helden) (2018–present)
- Supergirl (2016–present)
- Superstore (2017–present)
- The Big Bang Theory (2009–present)
- The Flash (2015–present)
- The Great Indoors (2018–present)
- The Mick (2017–present)
- The Middle (reruns)
- The Millers (Die Millers) (2014–present)
- The Orville (2018–present)
- The Real O'Neals (2018–present)
- The Simpsons (Die Simpsons) (1994–present)
- This Is Us (2017–present)
- Two and a Half Men (first season named Mein cooler Onkel Charlie) (2005–present)
- Young Sheldon (2018–present)
- Younger (2018–present)
Current German programmes
[edit]- Galileo (1998–present)
- Galileo Big Pictures (every few weeks, another episode with a different topic is released) (2009–present)
- Germany's Next Topmodel
- Late Night Berlin, hosted by Klaas Heufer-Umlauf (2018–present)
- :newstime
- :newstime Spätnachrichten
- Prankenstein (2015–present)
- red! Stars, Lifestyle & More
- Schlag den Star (since 2016 with Elton as host)
- taff (1995–present)
- Joko gegen Klaas – Das Duell um die Welt (3 episodes a year, usually starting around November)
- Joko und Klaas gegen ProSieben, hosted by Klaas Heufer-Umlauf and Joko Winterscheidt (2019–present)
- red! (2008–present)
- Watch Me – Das Kinomagazin (2016–present)
- The Voice of Germany (2011–present)
Event show
[edit]- Bundesvision Song Contest (annually)
- Die Beste Show der Welt (The Best Show in the World – 8 episodes)
- TV total events:
- Turmspringen (diving, annually)
- PokerStars.de-Nacht (poker, monthly)
- Stock Car Crash Challenge (like banger racing on a muddy indoor track, annually)
- Wok-WM (annually)
- Autoball (football with cars and a very big ball, every two years)
Former foreign series
[edit]- 8 Simple Rules (Meine wilden Töchter)
- 90210 (2009)
- Alias (Alias – Die Agentin) (2003–2004, 2007–2008)
- Aliens in America (2009, 2015)
- American Horror Story (2013)
- Angel (Angel - Jäger der Finsternis) (2001–2005)
- Body of Proof (2011)
- Booker (1993–1994)
- Brothers & Sisters (2007)
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Buffy – Im Bann der Dämonen) (1998–2005)
- Charmed (Charmed – Zauberhafte Hexen)
- Chuck (2009, 2013–2016)
- Code Black (2016–2017)
- Cold Case (Cold Case – Kein Opfer ist je vergessen)
- Crisis (2016)
- Dawson's Creek (2001–2004)
- Desperate Housewives
- Devious Maids (Devious Maids - Schmutzige Geheimnisse) (2014)
- Diagnosis: Murder (Diagnose: Mord) (1993–1998)
- Doctor Who (2008)
- Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (Apartment 23)
- Early Edition (Allein gegen die Zukunft)
- Empire (2015–2017)
- ER (Emergency Room – Die Notaufnahme)
- Eureka (EUReKA – Die geheime Stadt) (2008–2013)
- Everybody Hates Chris (Alle hassen Chris)
- Everybody Loves Raymond (Alle lieben Raymond)
- Falling Skies (2011–2012, 2015)
- Family Matters (Alle unter einem Dach) (1995–2003)
- FlashForward (2010)
- Friends (2000–2006, 2015)
- Ghost Whisperer (Ghost Whisperer - Stimmen aus dem Jenseits)
- Gossip Girl
- Greek (2010)
- Grounded for Life (Keine Gnade für Dad)
- Harper's Island
- Hawthorne
- Highway to Heaven (Ein Engel auf Erden) (1991–1992)
- Homeland
- Hope & Faith (2013)
- Hotel (1994)
- Human Target
- Joey (2008–2011)
- Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (Kung Fu - Im Zeichen des Drachen) (1994–1997)
- Kyle XY (2007–2010)
- Legend of the Seeker (Legend of the Seeker - Das Schwert der Wahrheit)
- Limitless (2017)
- Lipstick Jungle
- Lost (2005–2014)
- Lucifer (2017)
- Married... with Children (Eine schrecklich nette Familie)
- Matlock (1992–1997, 2001)
- Medical Investigation
- Moonlight (2008, 2010–2011, 2014)
- My Wife and Kids (What's Up, Dad?)
- New Girl
- Nip/Tuck
- Numb3rs (Numb3rs - Die Logik des Verbrechens) (2005)
- One Life to Live (Liebe, Lüge, Leidenschaft) (1989–1990)
- One Tree Hill (2007–2008)
- Perfect Strangers (Ein Grieche erobert Chicago)
- Primeval (Primeval – Rückkehr der Urzeitmonster)
- Primeval: New World
- Private Practice
- Pushing Daisies
- Quantico (2016)
- Queer as Folk
- Reaper
- Roseanne
- Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (Sabrina – total verhext!)
- Scream Queens
- Seinfeld (1998–2003)
- Sex and the City (2001–2008)
- Sliders (Sliders – Das Tor in eine fremde Dimension)
- Space: Above and Beyond (Space 2063)
- Spartacus: Vengeance
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2010)
- Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
- Suburgatory (2012–2015)
- Supernatural
- Surface (2006–2007)
- T. J. Hooker (1992–1994)
- Taz-Mania (Tazmania) (1994–1998)
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
- Terra Nova (2012)
- The 100 (2015–2016)
- The 4400 (4400 – Die Rückkehrer) (2006–2009)
- The Bugs Bunny Show (1989-1998)
- The Good Wife (2010)
- The L Word (The L Word – Wenn Frauen Frauen lieben)
- The Muppets (2016–2017)
- The New Normal (2013)
- The O.C. (O.C., California)
- The Odd Couple (Odd Couple)
- The Royals (2015)
- The Shield (The Shield - Gesetz der Gewalt) (2004)
- The Smurfs (1995)
- The Strain (2015)
- The Tudors (2008-2011)
- The Vampire Diaries
- The X-Files (Akte X – Die unheimlichen Fälle des FBI)
- Three's Company (Herzbube mit 2 Damen) (1993–1995)
- Touch (2012)
- V (V – Die Besucher) (2011)
- Weeds (Weeds – Kleine Deals unter Nachbarn) (2007)
- Without A Trace (2003-2004)
Former German programmes
[edit]- 17 Meter - Wie weit kannst du gehn?, hosted by Klaas Heufer-Umlauf and Joko Winterscheidt (2011–2012)
- 18 – Allein unter Mädchen (2004–2007)
- Absolute Mehrheit (talk show on politics, every three months) (2012–2013)
- Alles außer Sex (2005–2007)
- Arabella, hosted by Arabella Kiesbauer (1994–2004)
- Arabella Night, hosted by Arabella Kiesbauer (1996–1997)
- Avenzio – Schöner leben!
- Axel! will's wissen!
- Bravo TV (2005–2007)
- Bully & Rick
- Bullyparade (1997–2011)
- CineTipp
- Circus HalliGalli, hosted by Klaas Heufer-Umlauf and Joko Winterscheidt (2013–2017)
- comedystreet (2002–2013)
- Crazy Competition
- Das Duell um die Geld, hosted by Klaas Heufer-Umlauf and Joko Winterscheidt (2016–2017)
- Das Geständnis – Heute sage ich alles
- Der kleine Mann
- Die ProSieben Märchenstunde
- Die ProSieben MorningShow (2009)
- Die Reporter (1992–2000)
- Focus TV (1996–2009)
- Fort Boyard (2000, 2002)
- Galileo Mystery
- Joko und Klaas – Die Rechnung geht auf uns
- Kalkofes Mattscheibe (2003–2008, 2010, 2012)
- Lebe deinen Traum!
- Mein bester Feind, hosted by Klaas Heufer-Umlauf and Joko Winterscheidt (2014–2016)
- Night-Loft (2005–2011)
- Noch Besserwissen (reruns)
- Ahnungslos
- Popstars (2003–2012)
- Prompt (2004–2005)
- ProSieben Funny Movie
- ProSieben Reportage
- ProSieben Spätnachrichten
- Prosieben Spezial – Wissen Weltweit
- Quatsch Comedy Club (1997–2015)
- Quizboxen (lit. 'quiz boxing')
- SAM (1995–2009)
- Schlag den Henssler, hosted by Elton (2017–2018)
- Schlag den Raab, hosted by Steven Gätjen (2006–2015)
- Stromberg (2004–2015)
- Studio Amani (2016)
- superspots – Die besten Clips im Umlauf (reruns)
- Switch (reruns)
- Switch reloaded
- talk talk talk (1999–2016)
- talk talk talk fun (2006–2007)
- The Next Uri Geller (2008–2009)
- TV total, hosted by Stefan Raab (1999–2015)
- U20 – Deutschland, deine Teenies
- Unter fremden Decken
- Wunderwelt Wissen
Former programming blocks
[edit]- Trick 7 (1991–2004)
Logos
[edit]-
First logo used from 1989 to 23 October 1994
-
Current logo used since 24 October 1994
-
ProSieben HD logo since 12 February 2015
Audience share
[edit]Germany
[edit]| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | Annual average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990[16] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.3% |
| 1991[17] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1992[18] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1993[19] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1994[20] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1995[21] | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1996[22] | 9.8% | 9.6% | 9.8% | 9.4% | 9.7% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 9.0% | 10.1% | 10.2% | 9.2% | 9.4% | |
| 1997[23] | 9.7% | 9.3% | 9.7% | 9.0% | 9.1% | 9.6% | 9.3% | 9.2% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 9.3% | 9.0% | |
| 1998[24] | 9.4% | 8.0% | 8.2% | 8.3% | 9.3% | 7.9% | 8.4% | 8.7% | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.2% | 9.1% | |
| 1999[25] | 8.9% | 8.7% | 8.5% | 8.6% | 8.0% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.2% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 7.8% | |
| 2000[26] | 8.5% | 8.5% | 8.1% | 8.3% | 8.5% | 8.0% | 8.1% | 8.4% | 8.1% | 8.2% | 8.3% | 7.9% | |
| 2001[27] | 8.2% | 8.4% | 8.5% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 8.5% | 7.4% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 7.8% | 7.2% | |
| 2002[28] | 7.6% | 6.7% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 6.7% | 6.3% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 7.4% | 7.5% | 7.1% | 7.2% | |
| 2003[29] | 7.3% | 6.9% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 7.0% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 7.4% | 7.3% | 7.4% | 6.7% | |
| 2004[30] | 6.9% | 7.1% | 7.5% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 6.7% | 7.1% | 6.1% | 7.4% | 7.5% | 7.0% | 6.7% | 7.0% |
| 2005[31] | 6.6% | 6.8% | 7.0% | 7.1% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.4% | 6.6% | 6.5% | 6.7% | 6.4% | 6.1% | |
| 2006[32] | 6.5% | 5.9% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 5.6% | 6.2% | 6.7% | 7.3% | 7.4% | 7.1% | 6.3% | |
| 2007[33] | 6.3% | 6.0% | 6.6% | 6.8% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 6.5% | 6.4% | 6.6% | 6.2% | |
| 2008[34] | 6.5% | 6.6% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 7.2% | 6.0% | 6.6% | 5.9% | 7.0% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 6.5% | |
| 2009[35] | 6.3% | 6.1% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 7.0% | 6.3% | 5.9% | 6.4% | 6.8% | 6.9% | 7.1% | 6.7% | 6.6% |
| 2010[36] | 6.3% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 6.9% | 6.8% | 5.6% | 5.9% | 6.4% | 6.6% | 6.5% | 6.3% | 6.0% | |
| 2011[37] | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.9% | 6.4% | 6.3% | 6.8% | 6.2% | 6.0% | 6.5% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 6.2% | |
| 2012[38] | 5.9% | 5.7% | 6.1% | 6.4% | 6.2% | 5.2% | 6.0% | 5.5% | 5.7% | 6.0% | 6.1% | 5.8% | |
| 2013[39] | 5.1% | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.5% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | |
| 2014[40] | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% | 6.0% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.5% | |
| 2015[41] | 5.1% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 5.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | |
| 2016[42] | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.8% | 5.4% | 5.1% | 5.1% | |
| 2017[43] | 4.7% | 4.5% | 4.7% | 4.8% | 4.6% | 4.5% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 4.5% | 4.7% | 4.8% | 4.2% | |
| 2018[44] | 4.0% | 4.1% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 4.5% |

The average age of the viewers is 37.4 years (as of 2016).[45]
In popular culture
[edit]- The ProSieben TV channel and its show Newstime were briefly shown twice in Captain America: Civil War. The first time was in a hotel room in Berlin while Helmut Zemo was studying a Soviet diary on The Winter Soldier. Michael Marx and Laura Dünnwald starred as themselves.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ "1984 - 1988". ProSiebenSat.1. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "1989 - 1996". ProSiebenSat.1. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ^ "Dr. Georg Kofler". Kofler Energies. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
- ^ "Rewe wird Großaktionär bei TV-Sender Pro Sieben". DIE WELT (in German). 5 January 1996. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ "Finanzinvestoren verabschieden sich: ProSieben zieht es in den Dax" (in German). n-tv. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ "ProSieben-Gruppe gründet Nachrichtensender N24". new-business.de (in German). Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ "1997 - 2000". ProSiebenSat.1. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ Johannes Hofmeister. "Fernsehen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland seit 1980". tv-kult.com (in German). Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ a b "ProSieben-Chef steigt auf" (in German). manager magazin. 5 May 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ "Jürgen Hörner wird neuer ProSieben-Geschäftsführer". t-online.de (in German). 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ "Großes Stühlerücken: Neue Chefs für ProSiebenSat.1-Sender" (in German). SPIEGEL ONLINE. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ a b Michael Hanfeld (15 December 2006). "Haim Saban nimmt Abschied von Pro Sieben Sat.1". Faz.net (in German). Frankfurter Allgemeine. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ Donald Koeleman (27 June 2007). "ProSiebenSat.1 acquires SBS". Broadband TV News. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ Schaffrinna, Achim (12 February 2015). "Ab heute sendet ProSieben im neuen Design". Design Tagebuch (in German).
- ^ "Wunschliste". wunschliste.de. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 1990" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 1991" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 1992" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 1993" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 1994" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 1995" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 1996" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 1997" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 1998" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 1999" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
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External links
[edit]- Official Site (in German)
ProSieben
View on GrokipediaHistory
1989–1993: Launch and early operations
ProSieben Television GmbH was established on 1 January 1989 in Munich by media entrepreneurs Gerhard Ackermans and Thomas Kirch, marking the launch of one of Germany's pioneering private commercial television channels.[3] With an initial staff of 70 employees, the station began operations with a modest schedule of 9 hours of daily programming, primarily distributed via cable networks and the DFS Kopernikus satellite. The founding team emphasized a format centered on light entertainment and infomercials to attract advertisers and viewers in a market dominated by public broadcasters, positioning ProSieben as an accessible alternative for urban and suburban audiences seeking escapist content.[7] The channel's early programming lineup featured a mix of imported international series and pilot infotainment formats tailored for German viewers, including dubbed U.S. action and comedy shows alongside homegrown lifestyle segments on consumer products and travel. This strategy helped ProSieben reach an estimated 2.44 million cable households within its first year, capitalizing on the growing availability of cable television in West Germany. Infomercials played a crucial role in revenue generation, filling airtime with direct-response advertising for household goods and health products, while entertainment blocks drew in younger demographics through familiar foreign imports like classic Hollywood films rerun in prime slots. Despite these efforts, the station faced significant operational challenges, including high production costs and competition from established public channels, leading to initial financial losses as the team refined its content acquisition and scheduling.[7][8] By late 1990, ProSieben expanded its broadcast schedule to 24 hours a day starting on 1 October, a milestone that made it the first private German TV station to offer round-the-clock programming and broadened its appeal to late-night viewers. This upgrade was supported by relocating operations to Unterföhring near Munich in March 1990, which improved technical infrastructure and staff efficiency to around 120 employees. Key enhancements during this phase included the introduction of teletext services, providing viewers with real-time news, program guides, and subtitles to enhance accessibility and engagement. These developments helped stabilize operations amid ongoing financial pressures from rising licensing fees for imported content and infrastructure investments.[7][4] The period culminated in ProSieben's turnaround, as the channel recorded its first annual profit in 1993 after years of deficits totaling several million Deutsche Marks, driven by improved advertising rates and audience growth to over 10% market share in key demographics. This profitability milestone validated the infomercial-heavy model while setting the stage for further content diversification, though early struggles underscored the risks of entering a nascent private TV market regulated by state licensing bodies.[7]1994–1999: Expansion and public listing
In 1994, ProSieben introduced a new corporate logo on October 24, featuring a stylized "7" design that has remained a core element of its branding, accompanied by a three-note jingle (F-G-C) still in use today.[9] This rebranding coincided with the launch of an enhanced teletext service, marking the channel's entry into ancillary digital information delivery for viewers, and the initiation of co-productions for original German feature films, the first such effort by a private TV network in the country.[9][4] These developments supported infrastructure expansion, including broader cable distribution, contributing to revenue growth to DM 1.192 billion that year.[9] Audience metrics reflected this momentum, with ProSieben achieving a peak market share of 9.9% among all viewers in 1995, establishing it as a leading commercial broadcaster targeting young adults.[10] The channel solidified its position by acquiring full ownership of Kabel 1, a complementary cable channel, enhancing its portfolio and programming reach without venturing into international markets at this stage.[4] By 1996, following a rename to ProSieben Media AG and the formation of a dedicated business development department, the company launched ProSieben Online (prosieben.de), an early digital platform offering web-based content and merchandising tie-ins, which quickly became one of Germany's top websites.[4] Revenue reached $978 million, with pretax profits at $102 million, underscoring the benefits of diversified operations including the acquisition of Merchandising München for content-related commerce.[4] The period's financial milestone came in July 1997, when ProSieben became the first German television company to list on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange through an initial public offering structured in three tranches: 20% to the public, 20% to institutional investors, and 10% from the Kirch Group's stake, raising approximately $740 million to fuel further expansion.[4] This listing provided capital for strategic acquisitions, such as a majority stake in CM Community Media and control of the ddp news agency in 1998, bolstering news and community content capabilities.[4] Programming began shifting toward more original German productions, including infotainment formats and co-developed series, to complement imported content and appeal to the 14-49 demographic, where combined shares for ProSieben and Kabel 1 reached 18.8% by 1999.[4] In 1999, ProSieben advanced its digital infrastructure by beginning broadcasts with multichannel Dolby Digital sound on September 19 and founding N24 GmbH, a dedicated news entity that would launch as a 24-hour channel the following year to diversify beyond entertainment into infotainment.[11][4] The company also acquired a stake in e-commerce platform LetsBuyIt.com, signaling early integration of online ventures with broadcasting. Overall audience share for the group climbed to 13.8% among all viewers, reflecting sustained growth from enhanced original programming and multi-channel presence.[4]2000–2007: Mergers and international acquisitions
In 2000, ProSieben Media AG merged with Sat.1 Holding GmbH to create ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, establishing Germany's largest commercial broadcaster by combining their complementary channel portfolios and production capabilities.[12] This consolidation positioned the new entity as a dominant player in the German free-to-air television market, with a focus on entertainment programming. By 2003, following the insolvency of the Kirch Group, Haim Saban's Saban Capital Group acquired a majority stake in ProSiebenSat.1, securing approximately 72% of the voting shares from KirchMedia for an estimated €525 million plus a capital increase of €300 million.[13] This takeover, cleared by German antitrust authorities without conditions, shifted control to international investors and enabled restructuring efforts amid financial challenges.[14] In December 2006, private equity firms KKR and Permira acquired the majority stake from Saban Capital Group and other investors in a deal valuing the equity at approximately €3 billion, with an enterprise value of €5.6 billion, leading to the delisting of ProSiebenSat.1 from the stock exchange.[15] This leveraged buyout provided capital for further expansion and emphasized cost efficiencies in content production and distribution.[16] The period culminated in June 2007 with ProSiebenSat.1's acquisition of SBS Broadcasting Group for €3.3 billion, fully funded by KKR and Permira, which expanded operations to 13 European countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.[17] This move created a pan-European broadcasting powerhouse with 48 television stations reaching over 77 million households, rivaling RTL Group in scale.[18] Strategically, it shifted focus toward cross-border content distribution, leveraging SBS's established networks for synergies in programming acquisition and advertising sales.[19] Under the unified ProSiebenSat.1 brand introduced post-2000 merger, channels across the expanded portfolio adopted consistent visual identities and marketing strategies to enhance viewer recognition and content interoperability.[20] The SBS integration notably broadened programming options, incorporating a wider array of imported international series from SBS's libraries, such as U.S. and British shows, to diversify offerings and boost audience engagement in non-German markets.[21]2008–present: Digital shift and ownership transitions
Following the global financial crisis of 2008, ProSiebenSat.1 Media faced significant debt pressures, prompting its private equity owners, KKR and Permira, to restructure approximately €1.8 billion in liabilities in 2009 through negotiations with lenders.[22] This included refinancing efforts and the sale of non-core assets, such as stakes in international operations, to stabilize finances after the company's delisting in 2007. By 2013, improved market conditions enabled a return to public trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in March, with KKR and Permira gradually divesting their remaining shares, marking a recovery phase focused on core broadcasting operations.[23] In response to the rise of digital streaming, ProSiebenSat.1 launched the Joyn platform in June 2019 as a joint venture with Discovery, offering free ad-supported TV and on-demand content to compete with global services like Netflix.[24] Initially a 50-50 partnership, ProSiebenSat.1 acquired full ownership of Joyn in September 2022 for a symbolic €1, integrating it as a wholly owned subsidiary within its Entertainment segment to enhance cross-platform advertising and content distribution.[25] The company continued its digital pivot amid evolving ownership dynamics. In February 2024, ProSiebenSat.1 formed an advertising technology partnership with RTL Deutschland, merging their adtech units—Virtual Minds and Smartclip—under the Ad Alliance banner to develop independent programmatic solutions and reduce reliance on U.S. tech giants.[26] This was followed by cost-saving measures, including the announcement in May 2025 of approximately 430 full-time job cuts as part of a broader restructuring to streamline operations and accelerate the shift to digital, with effects expected from the second half of the year.[27] Content expansion supported this transition, highlighted by a multi-year deal with NBCUniversal in July 2025 for nearly 2,000 hours of premium U.S. programming, including films and series for linear and streaming platforms, and a four-year broadcast agreement with FIBA in April 2025 covering key basketball events from 2025 to 2029.[28][29] Ownership transitioned dramatically in 2025 when Italian media group MFE-MediaForEurope (MFE) launched a voluntary public takeover offer in May, securing over 75% of voting shares by September after a sweetened bid, gaining control of the company.[30] This culminated in a CEO change on October 21, 2025, with Marco Giordani, a veteran MFE executive, replacing the prior leadership to align ProSiebenSat.1 with MFE's European media strategy.[31]Ownership and corporate structure
ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE overview
ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE was formed in October 2000 through the merger of ProSieben Media AG and Sat.1 Holding GmbH, establishing it as a leading media conglomerate in the German-speaking region.[32] The company is headquartered in Unterföhring, near Munich, Germany, and employs 7,041 people as of December 31, 2024.[33] As a European societas Europaea (SE), it operates as a holding company overseeing diverse media operations focused on entertainment and digital content delivery. The company's core divisions encompass free-to-air television, including flagship channels like ProSieben and Sat.1; pay television with 15 channels offering premium content; the Joyn streaming platform, which integrates live and on-demand video services; and production entities such as Seven.One Studios for in-house and external content creation.[1] These segments enable a multifaceted approach to content distribution across traditional broadcast and digital platforms, with production arms supporting both internal programming needs and international sales. Revenue primarily derives from advertising sales on its TV and digital properties, supplemented by content licensing and distribution fees, as well as emerging digital ventures including e-commerce and video monetization.[1] In September 2025, ProSiebenSat.1 adjusted its financial outlook for the year, projecting group revenues of €3.65–3.80 billion amid a challenging advertising market, with the leverage ratio expected to rise to 3.0x–3.5x EBITDA by year-end due to ongoing investments and economic pressures.[34] As a publicly listed entity on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (MDAX index since 2018, following its prior DAX inclusion), ProSiebenSat.1 adheres to stringent regulatory standards, including full compliance with the German Corporate Governance Code as affirmed in its management declaration.[35] Recent structural adjustments, including executive board changes in October 2025, reflect ongoing adaptations to market dynamics while maintaining governance integrity.[36]Key shareholders and recent changes
ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE's ownership evolved significantly from private equity dominance to a publicly traded structure, marked by key investor shifts. In 2003, following the collapse of the Kirch Group, Haim Saban through Saban Capital Group acquired a controlling 71.98% stake in the company. This ownership lasted until December 2006, when Saban sold his shares to private equity firms Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and Permira for approximately €3 billion, establishing their majority control.[37][16] KKR and Permira maintained majority ownership from 2007, after merging ProSiebenSat.1 with SBS Broadcasting, until their gradual exit between 2013 and 2014, when they sold their remaining 16.6% stake for about €1.3 billion, fully transitioning the company to a dispersed public shareholder base with institutional investors predominant.[38][39] Mediaset (rebranded as MFE-MediaForEurope in 2022) began building its stake in 2019 with an initial 9.6% acquisition, steadily increasing it through additional purchases, reaching around 30% by early 2025. This culminated in a voluntary public takeover offer launched in March 2025, which MFE amended in July and August to improve terms, securing 75.61% of shares by September 4, 2025, and establishing full control. On October 21, 2025, ProSiebenSat.1's Supervisory Board approved significant changes to the Executive Board, including appointing MFE's Marco Giordani as CEO, reflecting the new majority influence.[40][41][31] These shareholder transitions profoundly shaped strategic direction, particularly in the 2020s amid activist pressures from investors like PPF Group (which held up to 15% before tendering to MFE) and MFE's push for focus on core broadcasting. ProSiebenSat.1 divested non-core assets, including selling its Verivox price-comparison unit to Multiply Group for €232 million in March 2025 and planning exits for dating service ParshipMeet and e-commerce platform Flaconi, to streamline operations and reduce debt.[42][43] As of November 2025, MFE-MediaForEurope remains the dominant stakeholder with 75.61% ownership, alongside minor institutional holdings and 0.1% treasury shares held by the company itself, underscoring its consolidated control over the media group's future.[41][44]Programming
Current foreign series and content
ProSieben, as part of the ProSiebenSat.1 Media group, continues to feature a range of imported international programming, primarily from the United States, dubbed into German for its audience. This includes ongoing reruns of popular sitcoms and animated series on channels like ProSieben Fun, which serve as key outlets for foreign content within the group's portfolio.[45] Among the staple foreign series, long-running animated staples like The Simpsons, which premiered on ProSieben on April 7, 1994, and sitcoms such as The Big Bang Theory (since July 11, 2009) and the medical drama Grey's Anatomy (since March 14, 2006) maintain regular broadcasts, often in syndication slots. Fresh Off the Boat, the American sitcom chronicling an immigrant family's experiences in 1990s Orlando, maintains regular reruns on ProSieben Fun, with episodes airing multiple times weekly as of late 2025. Similarly, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a long-running US comedy about a group of dysfunctional bar owners, and Community, a cult-favorite ensemble sitcom set at a community college, receive frequent broadcasts on the same channel, appealing to fans of irreverent humor. Animated imports like Bob's Burgers, depicting a family's burger restaurant antics, are also prominently featured, often in daytime and evening slots to attract younger demographics.[45][46] In July 2025, ProSiebenSat.1 finalized a multi-year agreement with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution, securing nearly 2,000 hours of Hollywood content, including new and library TV series, films, and factual programming for linear broadcast on ProSieben and Sat.1, as well as streaming on Joyn. This deal enhances access to contemporary US productions, with episodes integrated via German dubs to align with local viewing preferences and boost cross-platform viewership. While specific series from the 2024/25 slate, such as elements of NBC's drama franchises, are part of the expanded portfolio, the agreement emphasizes flexible distribution across free TV and AVOD services.[28] Additional foreign content includes prestige series like American Horror Story: NYC, the ninth season of the anthology horror format, available in the ProSieben Fun mediathek, and Australian-American series Mr Inbetween, a dark comedy-drama about a hitman balancing family life.[45] On the sports front, ProSiebenSat.1 entered a four-year broadcasting deal with FIBA, covering the 2025-2029 cycle and providing free-to-air exposure for German national team games. This includes the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers, which commenced in November 2025, with initial matches airing live and dubbed on ProSieben channels to engage basketball enthusiasts. The agreement ensures comprehensive coverage of qualifiers through March 2027, integrating international events into the network's schedule.[29]Current original German productions
ProSieben's current original German productions emphasize entertainment, news, and interactive formats tailored to a younger audience. Flagship programs include Galileo, a long-running science and news magazine that has aired daily since November 30, 1998, delivering educational segments on scientific discoveries, health, and technology with recent episodes in October 2025 covering topics like political inner circles and muscle-building supplements. Complementing this is taff, an entertainment news show broadcast weekdays since May 29, 1995, focusing on celebrity gossip, events, and pop culture, with 2025 episodes highlighting ongoing trends like the Bruce Springsteen phenomenon. The late-night show TV total, originally airing from 1999 to 2015 and revived on November 10, 2021, with host Sebastian Pufpaff, features comedy sketches and celebrity interviews in a weekly format.[47][48] The game show Schlag den Star, hosted by Elton since February 1, 2016, pits celebrities against each other in physical and mental challenges for a jackpot, maintaining its Saturday evening slot with planned episodes through late 2025, such as the October 25 matchup. Another key entertainment format is Germany's Next Topmodel, an annual modeling competition that continues to air new cycles in 2025, attracting high viewership among the target demographic.[49][50] Event-based series continue to draw viewers with high-energy spectacles. Recent programming schedules illustrate this focus, with weekend primetime slots featuring shows like Wer isses?, a detective-style guessing game with celebrity teams identifying suspects through clues, airing on July 16, 2025. Similarly, the second season of THE RACE, a high-stakes reality competition created by David Henrichs, launched in 2025 with episodes integrated into summer lineups, emphasizing endurance races and team dynamics.[51][7] These productions are primarily developed in-house through ProSiebenSat.1's integrated studios, including subsidiaries under Seven.One Studios, which handle scripting, filming, and post-production for both linear TV and streaming on Joyn.[1] Targeting the 14-49 demographic, the content incorporates interactive elements such as live voting via app, social media polls during broadcasts, and viewer-submitted challenges to boost engagement among younger viewers.[6]Former foreign series and content
ProSieben's programming in the 1990s and early 2000s heavily relied on imported American series to attract a young adult audience, with shows like Alias airing from 2003 to 2004 and again in 2007–2008 before being discontinued due to declining viewership and scheduling shifts toward newer content. Similarly, the crime drama Las Vegas premiered in early 2006 but was pulled after just six weeks owing to poor ratings that failed to meet expectations for the prime-time slot. Other notable imports included the post-apocalyptic series Jericho, which debuted in June 2007 with initial strong performance but was discontinued later that year as subsequent episodes saw sharp drops in audience numbers, leading to its relocation to another channel.[52][53][54] In the mid-2010s, series such as The 100 transitioned away from ProSieben after its run ended in 2017, with rights moving to sister channel sixx amid a broader strategy to diversify programming across the network portfolio. Contract expirations played a key role in many discontinuations, as licensing agreements for U.S. shows often lasted only a few seasons, prompting ProSieben to reevaluate based on performance metrics and availability of renewals. Additionally, the rise of the channel's streaming platform Joyn facilitated a pivot, where older foreign content was increasingly archived or exclusively streamed rather than broadcast linearly, reducing linear TV slots for imports.[55][7] These early foreign series significantly contributed to building ProSieben's audience base in the 1990s, when imports accounted for around 60% of the schedule and helped establish the channel as a go-to for entertainment targeting 14- to 49-year-olds. However, post-2010, the emphasis shifted toward original German productions to retain full rights ownership and better align with local viewer preferences, resulting in fewer foreign series on the main channel and a gradual phase-out of underperforming imports in favor of in-house formats.[4][56]Former original German productions and blocks
One notable former original German production was Trick 7, a children's comedy and animation block that aired from July 1, 1991, to 2004. Featuring animated raven hosts Trix and Trax, along with later characters like T-Wiee, it presented cartoons, sketches, and light-hearted segments targeted at young viewers during morning and afternoon slots. The block's discontinuation in 2004 stemmed from ProSieben's strategic pivot toward adult-oriented prime-time programming amid declining youth viewership for linear TV blocks. Another example is Popstars, a reality talent competition that aired from 2000 to 2015, helping launch musical acts but ended due to format fatigue and shifting audience interests toward digital platforms.[57][58] Another example includes early spin-offs from the Galileo science magazine, such as Galileo Mystery, which debuted in 2009 as a one-hour weekly show hosted by Aiman Abdallah exploring unexplained phenomena and mysteries. Broadcast on Tuesday evenings, it concluded after its initial season in early 2010 without renewal, attributed to modest ratings that failed to justify continuation; ProSieben instead developed alternative Galileo extensions.[59] ProSieben's programming blocks evolved significantly in its formative years. Prior to achieving near-24/7 broadcasting, the channel operated with limited night shifts, typically signing off around midnight after nine hours of daily content from its 1989 launch; this pre-24/7 structure ended by 1990 as operations expanded following relocation and satellite distribution upgrades. Additionally, infomercial and teleshopping blocks, which filled off-peak hours in the 1990s to generate revenue, were largely phased out by 2000 amid the merger with Sat.1, reallocating resources toward in-house entertainment production and broader audience appeal. Pre-2007 event blocks, such as specialized extensions of TV total like boxing specials, were discontinued due to fluctuating viewership and post-merger cost optimizations.[3][4] These discontinued productions and blocks left a legacy in shaping ProSieben's early identity as an innovative private broadcaster, influencing modern formats like interactive science content and themed evenings, though many were retired to streamline for digital platforms and streaming integration post-2010.[7]Branding and visual identity
Logo evolution
ProSieben's branding began with a simple text-based logo upon its launch as Pro 7 on January 1, 1989, featuring the word "Pro7" in custom typography on a plain background.[60] This initial design reflected the channel's early identity as a music and youth-oriented broadcaster, with no elaborate graphics or symbols.[61] The logo was used consistently until the channel's rebranding, appearing in white or glowing variants during idents.[60] On October 24, 1994, Pro 7 was renamed ProSieben, introducing a new logo designed by the British agency Pittard Sullivan.[60] The updated design featured the word "ProSieben" in bold, custom lettering, with the "7" stylized as a curved, dynamic shape evoking energy and motion, targeted at the channel's young audience.[62] Accompanied by a three-note jingle (F-G-C), the logo included colorful elements and was initially paired with explanatory text below, marking a shift to a more vibrant, entertainment-focused identity.[61] Typography changes occurred in 1997, adopting Europa Grotesk, and by 2000, the subtext was removed for a cleaner look.[60] Following the 2000 merger with Sat.1 to form ProSiebenSat.1 Media, the logo remained unchanged but saw minor alignments in corporate branding, such as shared color palettes for group consistency.[61] In the 2000s, variations included gradient effects in digital applications, but the core design persisted without major overhauls.[63] A 2015 on-air refresh introduced modern gradients and the Campton font for supplementary graphics, enhancing the logo's presentation while preserving its form.[63] The 1994 logo has been in continuous use across television, digital platforms, and print media as of 2025, symbolizing ProSieben's enduring commitment to dynamic entertainment.[60] Its curved "7" element continues to convey vitality, aligning with slogans like "We Love to Entertain You" introduced in 2003.[60]On-air design and slogans
ProSieben's on-air design features dynamic graphics and idents tailored to its entertainment-oriented programming, with a focus on vibrant visuals that enhance viewer engagement. In February 2015, the channel unveiled a comprehensive redesign, incorporating flat design principles, parallax animations, and a playful color scheme to create a light, floating aesthetic centered on user-friendly communication. This update targeted the channel's primary demographic of viewers aged 14 to 49, emphasizing modern, accessible elements that align with its youthful branding. The redesign earned a Gold Award in the General Brand Design Package (Channel) category at the PromaxBDA Europe Awards in 2016 and recognition at the Eyes & Ears of Europe Awards for outstanding design achievement.[64][65][66] Central to ProSieben's branding are its marketing slogans, which reinforce its role as an entertaining broadcaster. The enduring English-language slogan "We love to entertain you" has been in use since 2003, appearing in promos, idents, and campaigns to highlight the channel's commitment to fun and diverse content, and remains the primary slogan as of 2025.[3] Earlier iterations in the 1990s and 2000s included German phrases such as "Gute Unterhaltung" and "Alles Gute aus Hollywood!," evoking excitement in line with the era's programming blocks.[67] Another German slogan, "Dein Sender. Jetzt.," was used in 2005 to position the channel as a personal, viewer-centric destination.[68] ProSieben's idents have evolved from static, logo-centric formats in the 1990s to more interactive and thematic designs in the 2020s, often customized for specific events or shows. For instance, bumpers for the long-running automotive comedy program TV total incorporate humorous, high-energy animations tied to the show's motifs, such as car chases or celebrity stunts. Following the launch of the Joyn streaming platform in 2017, on-air elements have integrated promotional graphics for digital content, with idents adapted for livestreams to maintain consistency across linear TV and online viewing. This shift supports seamless transitions between broadcast and streaming, enhancing cross-platform cohesion.[66][69]Audience and performance
Television viewership in Germany
ProSieben's television viewership in Germany is primarily tracked by AGF Videoforschung, which measures audience market share as the percentage of total viewing time among specified demographics, such as viewers aged 14 to 49 years—the channel's core target group.[70] In its early years following the 1989 launch, ProSieben rapidly gained traction in the emerging private broadcasting market, achieving a peak audience share of approximately 9.9% by 1995 amid limited competition and growing cable penetration.[71] This early success reflected the channel's focus on entertainment programming appealing to younger urban audiences, where private TV adoption was highest due to better access to cable and satellite services.[72] Over the subsequent decades, ProSieben's market share experienced fluctuations influenced by intensifying competition, particularly from RTL Group channels, which consistently held a larger overall share of around 25-27% in the 14-59 demographic during the 2010s and 2020s.[73] The channel's annual average share declined notably in the mid-2010s, reaching 4.5% in the 14-49 group by 2017 as audience fragmentation from digital platforms eroded linear TV viewership.[71] By 2024, the annual average stood at 2.8% among total viewers (aged 3+), though shares in the younger 14-49 group remained higher at around 6-8% monthly.[70] In Q2 2025, ProSieben rebounded to a 7.5% share in the 14-49 group, driven by strong performances in sports and entertainment events; this was followed by 6.1% in Q3 2025.[74][75] Key factors boosting viewership include high-profile original formats like Schlag den Star, which has delivered episodic market shares exceeding 19% in the 14-49 group, such as a 19.4% peak in a June 2025 celebrity edition, significantly outperforming the channel's quarterly average.[76] The average viewer age was 37.4 years in 2016, aligning with the youth-oriented programming, and has stabilized around this level post-2020 despite broader industry trends toward older linear TV audiences.[77] ProSieben maintains stronger performance in urban regions, where over 90% household penetration of multi-channel TV supports higher engagement compared to rural areas.[78]| Year | Annual Average Market Share (14-49 Group) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.3% | Early consolidation phase post-launch.[79] |
| 2015 | 10.9% | Peak in mid-2010s before digital shift.[80] |
| 2017 | 4.5% | Decline amid competition and fragmentation.[71] |
| 2024 | ~6.5% (monthly avg.) | Stabilizing with event-driven gains.[70] |
| 2025 (Q2) | 7.5% | Recovery via sports and formats.[74] |