RTL Nieuws App Takes Financials I-Pad Charts by Storm Week 45 the RTL Group Intranet
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
11 NovemberNovember 2010 week 45 Fun Factor Vox takes stock of the first season of X Factor Luxembourg Belgium RTL Group publishes interim Commercial broadcasters management statement confident about TV’s future France Netherlands M6 publishes promising RTL Nieuws app takes financials I-Pad charts by storm week 45 the RTL Group intranet 11 NovemberNovember 2010 week 45 Cover: Edita, winner of X Factor in Germany 2 Fun Factor Vox takes stock of the first season of X Factor Luxembourg Belgium RTL Group publishes interim Commercial broadcasters management statement confident about TV’s future France Netherlands M6 publishes promising RTL Nieuws app takes financials I-Pad charts by storm week 45 the RTL Group intranet ‘A different quality’ Edita Abdieski has won the first season of X Factor on Vox in Germany, and Vox has won new friends among German TV viewers. In conversation with Backstage, Editor-in-chief Kai Sturm takes stock of the first season. Edita, winner of X Factor in Germany Germany - 11 November 2010 The big moment arrived at 22:43 on Cologne, the best candidates were sent to ‘boot 9 November: 74.1 per cent of viewers cast their camp’ and afterwards to the judges’ houses – in- votes for Edita as the first winner of X Factor cluding mentoring by the judges for the individual in Germany. As many as 3.55 million viewers categories: Till Brönner was in charge of the over tuned in to watch Till Brönner’s 25-year-old 25-year-old acts, while Sarah Connor mentored protégé prevail against the four ladies of the 25-and-unders and George Glueck took ‘Big Soul’ from Hamburg in the grand finale of care of the vocal groups and duos. Each judge the popular musical talent show. Edita has won entered three acts in the live shows. In the end, a recording contract with Sony Music. one remained: 25-year-old Edita, a singer with a remarkable soul voice. “The first season of X Factor was a huge adventure for us. We weren’t sure exactly how it The X-Factor winner celebrates her debut in the was going to end,” declares Vox’s Editor-in-chief music business with the title I’ve Come To Life. Kai Sturm. “From the beginning, we set out to The music and lyrics were written by Florian do something entirely new – a different qual- Jakob, Chris Buseck and Raph Schillebeeckx. ity of programming. And I am proud to say we The winning song is now available from all succeeded. The panel of judges comprised of online music platforms and can be bought in Sarah Connor, Till Brönner and George Glueck, stores from Friday 12 November. The bonus the show’s fresh new presenter Jochen Schropp, track on the single is Edita’s highlight song from the fantastic quality of our candidates, all backed the show: Heavy Cross by Gossip. Till Brönner by a large, experienced and extremely dedicated was delighted about his protégé’s victory: “Edita team – these were the success factors of this worked her way to the top under difficult condi- first season.“ tions. Her likable manner and iron discipline have today earned her what is probably the 19,000 candidates had auditioned for X Factor greatest victory of her life to date. Edita is a role and wowed the judges with numerous excellent model for her generation and gives us hope that performances, in some cases moving them to it is always worth working towards your goals. tears at the auditions stage. Prior to the start I congratulate her with all my heart and wish her of the show, mentor George Glueck had told the best of success for the future.” Backstage: “I think the candidates got detailed information, in advance, about the kind of show Commenting on the show’s viewers and target X Factor is, and applied based on this.” After demographic, Kai Sturm says: “We were focus- auditions in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and ing primarily on Vox’s viewers and their expecta- 3 week 45 the RTL Group intranet RTL Interactive has also produced an I-Phone app tying in to the show. Apart from the option of watching the entire show as a live stream, the new app provides access to numerous highlight and song clips from the show. In addition, there are informative news and background articles as well as lots of pictures pertaining to the new show highlight. The app also allows users to participate in viewer voting and giveaways. Since its launch in late August, the app has generated more than 4 million Page Impressions and 450,000 video views. Due to the great success of the talent show, Vox is already planning a second season of X Factor. Kai Sturm says: “We learned so much in the first Kai Sturm, Editor-in-chief season and had so much fun in the process – we tions of an entertainment show that would fit with have to take advantage of this to do a second Vox. I can’t say exactly what an ‘archetypical’ season. Once you’ve got your hands on such Vox viewer looks like, but I can narrow it down a a strong format, you should keep it at all costs. bit: he or she is sophisticated and is not readily And most importantly: the market has shown for pigeonholed. We know that X Factor reached a some years now that once you’ve taken the first lot of viewers who have tended to be reserved hurdle – the first season – with a new format, you about the talent-show genre in the past.” can be really successful with it downstream.“ The first German season of X Factor season Ute Biernat, Managing Director of the Grundy featuring Sarah Connor, Till Brönner and George Light Entertainment production firm, is equally Glueck judges attracted 15.4 per cent of the enthusiastic: “We are very proud of X Factor’s 14 to 49 viewer market and peaked at an average success. We saw a great finale and some 2.91 million viewers aged 3 and older. So over fantastic performers. I very much look forward to the course of its first season on Vox, the music the second season.“ Vocal talents aged 16 and talent show scored an average market share of older, including groups and duos, can apply at 11.8 per cent market share among 14- to 49-year- Vox.de beginning immediately. old viewers since 24 August 2010, and earned peak market shares of 16.9 per cent among young audiences. Each episode was watched by an average 2.22 million viewers over the age of 3. The talent show kick-off was showcased on RTL Television on 20 and 21 August 2010, a TV even that was watched by up to 21 per cent of viewers aged 14 to 49. Kai Sturm: “The first season came with a huge fun factor for everyone involved. We were especially pleased with the musical quality of the candidates who applied for X Factor. We’re also very happy with the viewer response: X Factor is well above the channel average on Vox.” And X Factor’s popularity wasn’t limited to linear TV. A glance at the traffic generated by the web- sites of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland shows: since the show first went on the air in August, the full episodes and highlight clips have been viewed nearly 14 million times on the various websites. On VoxNow.de and RTLNow.de alone, the full episodes have generated more than 2 million views. The X Factor app 4 week 45 the RTL Group intranet Q3: RTL Group’s EBITA up 48 per cent year-on-year RTL Group announced its interim management statement to 9 November 2010. Luxembourg - 9 November 2010 In the third quarter of 2010, RTL Group’s EBITA to EUR 670 million (Q1 - 3/2009: EUR 457 million). increased by 47.8 per cent to EUR 133 million The EBITA increase was driven by significantly from EUR 90 million in the same period last improved results from most profit centres. The year. This growth in EBITA was driven by reported EBITA margin for the first nine months Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, Groupe M6 of the year was 17.5 per cent compared to and RTL Nederland. With TV advertising markets 12.9 per cent for the same period last year. across Western Europe growing significantly year-on-year, RTL Group’s reported revenue The net cash position as of 30 September 2010 was up 8.8 per cent to EUR 1,160 million in amounted to EUR 1,059 million (30 September the third quarter of 2010 (Q3/2009: EUR 1,066 2009: EUR 405 million, 30 June 2010: EUR 894 million). The reported EBITA margin was million). The operating cash conversion was 11.5 per cent, up from 8.4 per cent in the third 114 per cent (Q1 - 3/2009: 88 per cent). quarter of 2009. RTL Group had a good start in the important During the period January to September 2010 fourth quarter. As already announced at the end reported revenue grew by 7.9 per cent to EUR of August 2010, RTL Group will achieve signifi- 3,821 million (Q1 - 3/2009: EUR 3,541 million), cantly better full-year results compared to 2009. while reported EBITA increased by 46.6 per cent Operational highlights n Good start into the new programming season 2010/11: n Among young viewers, RTL Television in Germany achieved an audience share of 18.8 per cent in September and of 19.3 per cent in October, the highest monthly share since January 2004.