ProSieben restructures, sets €1.5bn digital target

ProSiebenSat.1 is restructuring its digital operations and has said it will generate €1.5 billion (U$1.7 billion) from digital by 2018.

Christof Wahl (left) will run digital in the new structure, with Christian Wegner and Albert Conrad moved to different positions within the the German broadcast giant.

ProSieben said that revenues from its ProSieben Digital Ventures & Commerce and Digital Entertainment division have reached a size that means the company will now house all of its digital activities within these units. Previously, revenues from digital services were reported under the ‘Digital & Adjacent’ section.

The restructure means ProSieben will report on the financial and operational performance of its digital services under the Digital Ventures & Commerce and Digital Entertainment banners from the third quarter.

Digital Ventures & Commerce will develop ProSieben’s e-commerce activities with the goal of developing new operational units within the wider department, each of which will generate revenues of €100 million by 2018, ProSieben said. It has already invested in the likes of energy payment website Verivox and travel site etraveli.

Christian Wegner (right), who was running the Digital & Adjacent segment will be on the executive board for the Digital Ventures & Commerce unit.

Christof Wahl will take control of the Digital Entertainment division from Wegner and will also be COO of the unit, which will house SVOD service Maxdome, MCN business Studio71 and an e-games operation.

Wahl will also take on responsibility for distribution of ProSieben’s channels and services, a role formerly conducted by Albert Conrad. He joins the executive board and the Industry Relations division.

Dr. Werner Brandt, supervisory board chairman of ProSiebenSat.1 Media, said: “The digital business has developed extremely dynamically under Christian Wegner’s leadership. The two strategically most important areas, Digital Entertainment and Digital Ventures & Commerce, have reached a size where it makes sense to split them off into their own segments.

“I am delighted that Christof Wahl will be taking care of Digital Entertainment at the executive board level.”

Thomas Ebeling, CEO of ProSiebenSat.1 added: “The new segment structure led by Christian and Christof puts us in an excellent position. We will thus exploit the potential of the two business areas and the opportunities presented by digitalisation even more consistently.”