For a long time there was speculation about the exact extent, but now the facts are on the table: Pro Sieben Sat 1 wants to cut around 400 jobs in Germany this year. That corresponds to around every tenth job in the entertainment core business and in the holding company in Unterfoehring near Munich, said a spokeswoman for the media group. The job cuts are to be carried out in a socially responsible manner through a volunteer program. Operational redundancies are to be avoided “as far as possible”. Positions that become vacant should not be filled.
Next to the RTL Group, Pro Sieben Sat 1 is the largest private broadcaster in Germany. Free-to-air, advertising-financed channels have long suffered from the advertising slump and competition from major streaming providers such as Netflix, Disney and Amazon Prime. The new company boss Bert Habets had therefore announced a realignment and a reduction in jobs several weeks ago, but left the exact extent open. The Joyn streaming platform was only fully taken over in autumn 2022. This is also mainly advertising-financed. Pro Sieben Sat 1 made it the focus of its entertainment business.
The organization is now being restructured, particularly in the entertainment segment. The goal is “a more efficient structure, a competitive cost base and processes clearly geared towards digital transformation,” the company said. This is a priority so that we can continue to invest consistently in the future of the group, especially in content and digital offerings. Recently there had also been speculation that Pro Sieben Sat 1 was interested in taking over the German pay channel Sky, which is also currently in crisis. Apparently the talks are dragging on.
“The job cuts is a difficult but necessary business decision so that ProSiebenSat.1 can increase its earning power and grow sustainably and healthily again,” explained CEO Habets. The former RTL manager had only moved to the top last November and had since reshuffled the board. Competitor RTL is also in trouble.