German media giant ProSiebenSat.1 is continuing its period of realignment with a host of changes in its management structure.
Last year, ProSiebenSat.1 acquired German streaming service Joyn from Warner Bros. Discovery. The same year, the company bundled its production companies in Germany, the U.K., Denmark and Israel, under the newly established banner Seven.One Studios. In July this year, ProSiebenSat.1 revealed that the group’s realignment after it acquired Joyn would result in the loss of 400 jobs. And in August, quarterly results showed that declining TV advertising revenues in the German-speaking region contributed to revenues and profits plunging.
On Thursday, it emerged that Joyn CEO Tassilo Raesig and CFO and COO René Sahm, are leaving the company by “mutual agreement due to differing views on the future direction of the platform.” Katharina Frömsdorf will become CEO of Joyn as of Nov. 1, reporting into ProSiebenSat.1 CEO Bert Habets. Alongside her, Nicole Agudo Berbel and Benjamin Risom also join the Joyn management team. Frömsdorf will also take on the overarching role of chief platforms and growth officer of Seven.One Entertainment Group.
Habets said: “Benjamin Risom has been instrumental in the technical development of the platform as CPO [chief product officer] of Seven.One Entertainment Group and in his previous roles at Joyn. Nicole Agudo Berbel, in her role as chief distribution officer, will now additionally focus on strengthening Joyn’s distribution through partner agreements. With the appointment of these three to the Joyn management team, we will be able to even better combine our streaming platform with the power and advantages of our company. This is the right way to grow Joyn.”
There are several other management changes. Habets will take on an additional role as CEO of Seven.One Entertainment Group; Henrik Pabst, chief content officer, is now responsible for all content across all channels/platforms; Stefan Endriß is CFO; Marc Rasmus becomes SAT.1 channel manager; and Hannes Hiller becomes ProSieben channel manager. Daniel Rosemann, channel manager of ProSieben and SAT.1, “leaves the company on best terms,” the group said.
