Jan Frouman to join ProSieben board

Red Arrow Entertainment boss Jan Frouman will join the board of the production and distribution group’s parent company ProSiebenSat.1.

Frouman will take the newly created role on a new executive board that will oversee ProSiebenSat.1 and Red Arrow, and will remain chairman and CEO of Red Arrow.

“Jan Frouman has successfully built up ProSiebenSat.1’s production business in recent years,” said Werner Brandt, supervisory board chairman of ProSiebenSat.1.

“I have come to know him as a highly capable manager with great international experience and expertise in the TV and content business. I am particularly delighted that he is joining the executive board as a long-standing ProSiebenSat.1 employee.”

Frouman joined ProSiebenSat.1 in 2004 having previously worked for Haim Saban’s business operations in Los Angeles. From 2008 and 2013 he was in a production and acquisitions role at the broadcasteer, before launching Red Arrow.

Thomas Ebeling, CEO of ProSiebenSat.1 and another executive board member, said: “Content and broadcasting are the key elements of our TV business. We make a living from high-quality programmes, and our far-reaching station brands are the guarantors of our group’s financial success.

“I am delighted to bring Jan onto the executive board as both a colleague and someone with the ideal qualities for leading the two areas – a passion for good television, an internationally honed feeling for the production sector and outstanding management skills.”

Frouman’s expanded group role was announced as ProSiebenSat.1 issued its 2015 results. It recorded a 13.4% year-on-year increase in revenues of €3.3 billion (US$3.6 billion), and a 9.2% uptick in EBITDA profit of €925.5 million.

The group is now organised across three divisions: German-speaking TV, digital, and production and global sales. In Germany, it claimed a 44% market share and said the buoyant ad market had driven its strong performance.

In the production and international distribution division, revenues were up 29.7%, taking the total to €262.2 million. The US production business was the single largest revenue generator, the company said. EBITDA profit of €25 million was up 30.8% year-on-year.

Red Arrow has been actively investing in production assets, today buying into new indie Cove Pictures.

Looking ahead to 2016 ProSiebenSat.1 said the year has got off to a good start, buoyed by positive sentiment in the wider German economy.

The company said it is targeting a 10% increase in revenues this year. Mid-term, it said has set a 2018 target of increasing its revenues by €1.85 billion, taking the total to €4.2 billion.