Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
K€ 2012 2011 Change (absolute) Change (in %)
Subscribers
Direct subscribers at beginning1) (in ‘000) 3,012 2,653 359 13.5%
Gross additions2) 728 671 57 8.4%
Churn3) –377 –312 –65 –20.9%
Net growth 351 359 –8 –2.4%
Direct subscribers at end (in ‘000) 3,363 3,012 351 11.6%
Premium HD subscribers4) (in ‘000) 1,514 974 540 55.5%
Premium HD penetration5) rate (in %) 45.0 32.3 12.7 –
Sky+ subscribers6) (in ‘000) 929 411 518 >100%
Sky+ penetration7) (in %) 27.6 13.6 14.0 –
Subscription ARPU8) (in €, monthly) 31.90 30.46 1.44 4.7%
Churn rate9) (in %, annualised) 11.8 11.0 0.8 –
Churn rate9) (in %, 12 months rolling) 11.8 11.0 0.8 –
Financials (in € million)
Revenues 1,333.2 1,138.7 194.5 17.1%
Operating expenses 1,384.3 1,294.2 90.1 7.0%
EBITDA –51.1 –155.5 104.4 67.1%
Depreciation and amortisation 72.3 56.1 16.2 28.8%
Amortisation of subscriber base 1.4 8.3 –6.9 –83.2%
EBIT –124.8 –219.9 95.1 43.3%
Financial result –65.4 –53.1 –12.3 –23.1%
Income taxes –5.1 –4.6 –0.5 –10.6%
Net income –195.2 –277.6 82.4 29.7%
K€ 31.12.2012 31.12.2011 Change (absolute) Change (in %)
Consolidated balance sheet (in € million)
Total assets 1,148.0 1,116.8 31.1 2.8%
Shareholders’ equity 42.0 89.0 –47.0 –52.8%
Net debt 611.0 525.2 85.8 16.3%
Employees
Full-time employees 1,939 1,716 223 13.0%
K€ Q4 2012 Q4 2011 Change (absolute) Change (in %) Subscribers
Direct subscribers at beginning1) (in ‘000) 3,212 2,857 355 12.4%
Gross additions2) 260 246 15 6.0%
Churn3) –109 –91 –18 –20.0%
Net growth 151 155 –4 –2.4%
Direct subscribers at end (in ‘000) 3,363 3,012 351 11.6%
Premium HD subscribers4) (in ‘000) 1,514 974 540 55.5%
Premium HD penetration5) rate (in %) 45.0 32.3 12.7 –
Sky+ subscribers6) (in ‘000) 929 411 518 >100%
Sky+ penetration7) (in %) 27.6 13.6 14.0 –
Subscription ARPU8) (in €, monthly) 32.77 31.29 1.48 4.7%
Churn rate9) (in %, annualised) 13.3 12.4 0.9 –
Churn rate9) (in %, 12 months rolling) 11.8 11.0 0.8 –
Financials (in € million)
Revenues 356.8 308.9 47.9 15.5%
Operating expenses 409.0 367.4 41.6 11.3%
EBITDA –52.1 –58.5 6.3 10.9%
Depreciation and amortisation 21.7 15.9 5.8 36.7%
Amortisation of subscriber base 0.3 0.4 0.0 –10.1%
EBIT –74.2 –74.7 0.6 0.8%
Financial result –14.5 –14.3 –0.3 –1.9%
Income taxes –3.2 –1.2 –2.0 >–100%
Net income –91.9 –90.2 –1.7 –1.9%
Key Figures Q4 2012 versus Q4 2011
1) Direct subscribers comprise monthly contract subscribers (residential customers and commercial subscriptions (e.g., bars, hotel rooms – including hotel rooms served by distribution partners – and other public venues)) to at least one of Sky’s channel packages and/or subscribers who purchased pay-per-view. Direct subscribers also include subscribers in the context of cooperation arrangements (e.g., triple-play offers). In the context of the activation of new contracts and the termination of existing contracts transitional periods exist.
2) Gross additions consist of all new direct subscribers with an activated smartcard in a given period. New direct subscribers who had an active subscription within the last 12 months and have been disconnected are not included; these subscribers are classified as reconnections from former subscribers. Q4 2012 gross additions include the technical migration of 5K LLPC wholesale customers.
3) Churn for a given period is defined as the number of direct subscribers who terminated their subscriptions, or who have not paid their bill and had their subscriptions terminated after the end of the Company’s dunning process, or who have left their contract for other reasons (e.g., deceased), less the number of reconnections from former subscribers (as described in footnote (2)).
4) Premium HD subscribers comprise subscribers who have subscribed to Sky’s Premium HD channels. The respective revenue contribution of Premium HD subscribers is included in ARPU. 5) HD penetration is defined as the relation of Premium HD subscribers to the total number of subscribers at the end of the respective period.
6) Sky+ subscribers receive Sky’s programming and Sky’s video-on-demand service with an HD-capable hard disk receiver. 7) Sky+ penetration is defined as the relation of Sky+ subscribers to the total number of direct subscribers at the end of that period.
8) ARPU is defined as monthly average subscription revenues (including pay-per-view) for a given period divided by the average number of direct subscribers in such period. Sky uses ARPU as a measure of its operating performance. Sky believes that ARPU is a useful measure of the extent to which Sky’s direct subscribers opt for the range of its programming. However, ARPU is not recognised as a measure under IFRS and should not be considered a substitute for any income statement data as determined in accordance with IFRS or viewed as a measure of profitability. Because not all compa-nies calculate ARPU in the same way, Sky’s presentation of ARPU is not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures used by other compacompa-nies.
9) The churn rate for a given period is defined as the number of direct subscribers who churned their subscriptions during the course of a given period, divided by the average number of direct subscribers in that period (calculated by dividing the sum of the number of direct subscribers on the first day of that period and on the last day of that period by two) and multiplied by four when referring to a quarterly period, by two when referring to a half-year period and by one when referring to a full-year period.
Explanatory notes on the key figures.
The financial statements of Sky Deutschland group are drawn up on the basis of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), with due regard to the interpretations of the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Commitee (IFRIC). Due to the totalling of individual items, the table may contain rounding differences.
3
Anything is possible …
Sky can look back to a great business year
2012
. The subscriber numbers are continually increasing. The unique
Sky innovations have received a warm welcome and are used frequently. The optimization and expansion of the
customer service result in Sky receiving multiple service awards and outstanding customer satisfaction ratings …
And these successes also show in our major key figures.
3.4 million
customers generated a monthly ARPU of
€31.90
and enjoy high-quality content on more
than
70
channels. They know that with Sky, they subscribe to added value – because we continuously enhance the
attractiveness of our product and service offering. For example by adding
22
additional HD channels since 2012.
Or with new and exclusive offerings on Sky Go and Sky Anytime. This enables us to realize growth rates of more than
300 percent
with the utilization of our innovative services. Our customers are very much aware of the added
value of a Sky subscription.
With the recent business successes, a number of major long-term rights deals as well as marketing and sales
cooperations and by securing a long-term financial structure, Sky laid the groundwork for sustainable and
successful business development in the future. In the 2012 business year we have already recorded strong annual
growth: The EBITDA improved by
67 percent
and revenues grew
17 percent
year-on-year –
evidence for the enormous growth potential of this business. The pay TV market in Germany and Austria still
offers a wealth of opportunities for Sky.
2009
20
10
07/
09
05
/10
10
/10
01/
11
04
/11
09
/10
08
/09
06
/10
05
/10
03
/10
6
UEFA
Champions LeagueMatch Tracker
420
11
Sky Deutschland AG | Geschäftsbericht 2012 Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
The Sky Story: Exclusive programming, groundbreaking innovation and excellent customer service
Launch of Sky
in Germany
HD
channels
1
st
live in 3D
Bundesliga matchLaunch of
HD DVR
in Germany
and Austria
TV stream for the iPad – Sky Sport App
1
st
Launch
Second Smartcard
3D channel
HD stream1
st
for the iPad
12/
11
20
13
08
/11
10
/11
Sky Guide
05
/12
08
/12
09
/12
10
/12
12/
12
01/
13
02/
13
5Sky+
2 TB
20
12
64
24 hours
sports news
channel in HD
1
st
5The Sky Story: Exclusive programming, groundbreaking innovation and excellent customer service
Launch of
Sky Anytime
All your favourite content on-demandSky Go 3.0
Movies on the iPad
Launch
Sky Go
sport datacenter
launched
New
service
center
in TeltowSky Go
Kids
HD
channels
More to come
New Sky Guide
on Sky Go with
Mobile
Record
Sky Go
on the
Xbox 360
08
/12
Sky Go
02/
6
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
Content
Key Figures 2012
Editorial
3
Sky World of Entertainment
8
To the shareholders
36
Letter to the shareholders
40
Members of the Management Board
42
Share information
44
Combined Management Report
48
Business and strategy
52
Corporate functions
68
Key metrics and quarterly trends
72
Earnings, financial and net asset position
75
Opportunities and risks
79
Outlook
88
Disclosure pursuant to §§ 289 (4), 315 (4), German Commercial Code (HGB) and explanations
89
Closing statement in accordance with § 312 (3) German Stock Corporation Act (AktG)
92
Declaration on Corporate Governance pursuant to § 289a German Commercial Code (HGB)
93
7
Financial Statements
98
Consolidated balance sheet
102
Consolidated statement of total comprehensive loss
104
Consolidated statement of cash flows
105
Consolidated statement of changes in equity
106
Notes to the Financial Statements
108
General information and basis of preparation
108
Notes to the consolidated balance sheet
119
Notes to the consolidated statement of comprehensive loss
135
Other explanatory comments
140
Responsibility statement
154
Auditor’s Report
156
Auditor’s Report
160
Further Information
162
Report by the Supervisory Board
166
Corporate Governance
173
Corporate Responsibility
181
Customers
W orld o f E nt er tainmen tMore of what you want,
W orld o f E nt er tainmen t
More than 10 million people watch Sky programming, with 3.4 million unique subscribers in Germany
and Austria. Although the pay TV markets in Germany and Austria are still comparatively
underpen-etrated compared with the rest of Europe, more and more people are subscribing to high quality TV
entertainment all the time. Our subscriber numbers have increased continuously since the launch of the
Sky brand, with 351,000 new customers added in the past year alone.
Our coordinated strategy is having an impact. Customers are thrilled with Sky’s premium programming
quality, cutting-edge entertainment innovations and outstanding customer service. We offer each and
every one of our 3.4 million customers what they’ve always wished for: personalized programming
available whenever and wherever they want it.
Our subscribers appreciate this. The record customer satisfaction levels speak for themselves. And the
word is getting out. Our subscribers are really our best form of advertising, spreading their enthusiasm
for our products to friends and relatives and beyond. And we deliver – with our ever-expanding range of
programming designed for all interests, our mobile viewing options and the outstanding quality of our
service. Every new subscription motivates us to continue on our path toward higher standards and the
best TV entertainment possible. Because all those viewers aren’t just numbers; they are millions of
reasons to always pursue our quest for more exclusivity, better quality and better service.
12
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
Television with Sky means more. More choice, more quality, more possibilities to
watch programming whenever you want, even when you’re on the go, and more
customer service. More opportunities to enjoy the television of the future – today.
Sky – experience the television of the future
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 201213
Exclusive programming in the best quality
Over 70 channels present the best entertainment with an exceptional variety of programming: live sports,
films, series, documentaries, children’s programming and much more. All without commercial
interrup-tions, in outstanding quality with Germany’s largest selection of HD channels and one exclusive 3D channel.
The incredibly sharp images and brilliant colors outshine normal TV and make the viewers want more.
Groundbreaking innovations
Sky customers decide for themselves when, where and how they want their entertainment – on mobile
devices or on demand at home. With Sky Go, they can enjoy Sky’s unparalleled entertainment offering
on the web, the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Xbox 360. The Sky+ HD hard disk receiver is a digital
receiver and recorder all in one. Sky customers can program their personal archive with the push of a
button from wherever they are. With Sky Anytime, customers can watch the best movies and series,
outstanding entertainment programming and sports whenever they want.
Exceptional customer service
At Sky, the customer is the top priority. This is why our service quality continuously improves and
expands. This includes faster shipping, hardware that is more reliable as well as increased availability
of service employees. These steps earned Sky numerous prizes in 2012. Customer service at Sky is
exceptional and leads to higher levels of satisfaction.
13 W orld o f E nt er tainmen t
14
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
14 14
15
15
The Sky Starter Package introduces viewers to Sky with 21 channels. At a low price, customers can
experience the range of programming at a completely new level of quality and without commercial
interruptions. This includes major television brands such as Discovery Channel, National Geographic,
Syfy, TNT Serie, Disney Channel and Sky Sport News*, the first 24 hour sport news channel.
The Sky Starter Package offers a selection of programs, introducing the viewers to the fantastic
possibilities of pay TV.
• 21 selected channels for the entire family from the Sky Welt Package
• Series, music, sports, documentaries and children’s programming for every age
• A variety of high quality programming with no commercial interruptions
• Up-to-date sport news – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on Sky Sport News*
Big TV – small price
Sky Starter Package
* Available in HD in connection with other program packages
W orld o f E nt er tainmen t
16
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
16 16
17
17
With the Sky Welt Package, Sky offers an entire world of entertainment on up to 50 channels. 13 HD
chan-nels offer sports, series, documentaries, music and children’s programming in the best quality. The Sky Welt
Package is the home of popular German series and German premieres of international series. Ten high
qual-ity channels present prize-winning documentaries about nature, the environment, science and technology.
Sport fans can follow highlights from across the world on channels such as Eurosport HD, Sport1+ HD and
ESPN America. Sport news is available 24/7 on Sky Sport News HD. With seven channels for kids, Sky offers
educational and violence-free entertainment for all ages. The minor protection PIN ensures that children only
watch what is suitable for them.
• A selection of up to 50 channels for every taste
• 13 HD channels with series, documentaries, sports and music
• The best international and German series showing 24 hours a day, many as TV premieres
and in HD
• Seven channels for children, featuring educational entertainment
• Up-to-date sport news – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on Sky Sport News HD
A world of entertainment
Sky Welt Package
W orld o f E nt er tainmen t
19
Film Package
With its film programming, Sky brings a true cinema atmosphere right into the living room. Movie fans
can look forward to around 20 TV premieres every month. New movies air on ten film channels up to
one year before debuting on free-to-air TV. The Film Package presents 80 films a day – from recent
blockbusters to classics. All films are shown without commercial interruption and with the option to view
in the original language. 16:9 format, Dolby Digital Sound, HD and 3D ensure brilliant video and sound
quality. And late night king Harald Schmidt comments on the events of the day, exclusively on Sky.
• Ten channels with over 80 films a day for every taste – including HD and 3D
• Around 20 TV premieres each month, up to a year before debuting on free-to-air TV
• All films without commercial interruption and many available in the original language
• Digital video and sound quality with Dolby Digital Sound and 16:9 aspect ratio
• Time shifting on several channels
• The “Harald Schmidt Show” exclusively on Sky
Film fans can get even closer to the action as a part of the “Dein Sky Film” community on Facebook.
Turn the living room into a cinema
World of E
nt
er
tainmen
20
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
21 21
Sky offers sport fans the most comprehensive programming with a diverse range of sporting events
across up to 13 channels. Those who love football will be a part of the game with all matches of the
UEFA Champions League, the DFB-Pokal, top matches of the UEFA Europa League and the Premier
League. Formula One drivers also hit the pedal to the metal on Sky with an exclusive Grand Prix
Week-end live and in HD. Golf fans can look forward to the highlights of the golf year, including the US
Mas-ters in Augusta as well as all events from the European Tour and the US PGA Tour. The offering also
includes tennis from Wimbledon and American sports on ESPN America HD and Sport1+ HD.
Exclusive live sports offering
Sport Package
• All 125 matches of the UEFA Champions League live
• All 63 matches of the DFB-Pokal live
• Top matches of the UEFA Europa League and the Premier League live
• All 360 matches of the Austrian Bundesliga and the Erste Liga live
• Formula One with an exclusive Grand Prix Weekend live and in HD
• US Masters in Augusta, all events from the European Tour and the US PGA Tour live
• Tennis from Wimbledon live
• Wrestling shows from the WWE with the option to view in the English original
• New: beach volleyball live
W orld o f E nt er tainmen t22
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
Complete Bundesliga
on Sky Fußball Bundesliga.
23 23
With Sky, football fans can enjoy all Fußball Bundesliga and second Bundesliga matches, which air live on up
to 12 channels at the same time. Football on Sky is a one-of-a-kind experience with 612 live matches per
season and prize-winning coverage from Sky’s Sports Editorial department. Extensive pre- and post-match
analyses as well as exclusive interviews and background reports take fans deeper into every match. The
Satur-day conference and the best matches are also broadcast in HD. Some games are also shown in 3D. MatchSatur-day
analysis and coverage is presented on the shows “Mein Stadion”, “Samstag LIVE!“ and “Sky90”.
Made for real fans
Fußball Bundesliga Package
• All 612 matches of the Bundesliga and the second Bundesliga live – including individual
matches or in the Sky conference – on up to 12 channels
• Summaries of highlights after each match
• Extensive pre- and post-match coverage with exclusive interviews and background reporting
• Saturday conference and selected matches also available in HD or 3D
• Three exclusive football shows: “Mein Stadion”, “Samstag LIVE!“ and “Sky90”
• Prize-winning reporting from Sky’s Sports Editorial department
Fans can post their live football comments in the “Dein Sky Sport” community on Facebook and Twitter.
W orld o f E nt er tainmen t
24
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
25
25
With Sky Select, customers can watch brand new films, live football, wrestling and concerts at selectable start
times independent of their booked packages – also available on Sky Anytime.
• New hit movies available as early as four months after premiering in cinemas, often
simultaneous to the DVD release
• All movies available when the user wants them, many in the original language
• Selected highlights in HD or 3D
• Individual days of Bundesliga football live and selected matches in HD or 3D
• Specific match days of the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the
DFB-Pokal are available on an individual basis
• Thrilling wrestling events from the WWE, exclusively available on TV
• Great concerts for music fans
Favourite programming on demand
Sky Select
W orld o f E nt er tainmen t26
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
27
27
Almost sharper than reality: Sky HD delivers a magical television experience and the largest selection of
programming in brilliant high definition quality. With up to 64 HD channels, TV on Sky is a diversified and
exciting TV experience. Viewers simply need an HD-capable television. Sky delivers the rest - a 3D-ready HD
receiver and unique programming. Sky Atlantic HD offers the absolute best series on TV.
• Germany’s largest selection of HD programming on up to 64 channels
• Five times higher resolution provides a sharp, high-contrast video in brilliant colours
• The newest blockbusters, exciting documentaries, thrilling live sports as well as Bundesliga
football in the HD offering of premium packages
• Sky 3D: A dedicated channel offering documentaries, films and one top
Bundesliga match every month in a whole new dimension
• Germany’s first 24-hour sport news channel: Sky Sport News HD
• New hit HBO series air directly after their American premiere on Sky Atlantic HD
Germany’s largest selection in HD
HD
W orld o f E nt er tainmen t28
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
28
29
29
Sky+ is an HD receiver and hard disk recorder all-in-one, that enables the viewers to create their TV
experience according to their wishes. They create their own program schedule and are free to decide
whether to watch the ongoing program right away, to pause or to record for later viewing. Favourite
shows can be easily recorded and archived with the push of a button. In the future, the Sky+ receiver
will also be available with a two-terabyte hard disk, offering enough storage space for up to 600 hours
of programming or 200 hours of HD programming and up to 400 program offerings on Sky Anytime.
Sky Anytime presents the best movies and a large selection of outstanding entertainment and sports
programming, as well as series hits, directly on the Sky+ receiver, on demand and at no extra cost.
New programming highlights in HD quality are loaded to the Sky+ receiver every day and can be viewed
without delay.
• Pause, rewind or record and archive the ongoing program any time simply at the push of a button
• Experience a show live and in brilliant HD quality while simultaneously recording another one
• Up to 600 hours of recorded programming or 200 hours of HD programming and 400 program
offerings on Sky Anytime with the new Sky+ 2TB
• The best of subscribed packages from Sky on demand without additional costs on Sky Anytime
Total control of your TV time
Sky+ and Sky Anytime
W orld o f E nt er tainmen t
30
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
Sky Go lets customers take Sky with them: on the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Xbox 360 and online. Whether
on the go or at home, Sky Go offers hundreds of films at no extra cost on demand, as well as the best series
from Sky Atlantic HD – most of them available directly after their US premier and often in the original
language. Since December 2012, there has been a special kids’ zone with additional minor protection.
Sky Go also lets subscribers enjoy live sports, including Bundesliga (via WLAN), international football, all
Formula One races, golf, tennis and ice hockey. Beginning in 2013/14, all Bundesliga matches will also be
available on Sky Go via mobile networks such as 3G. Sky Go can be booked with an HD service or a
Sky Zweitkarte (second smartcard) at no extra charge.
Your entertainment everywhere
Download Sky Go:
30
31
31
Sky Go on the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
and on the Web
• All Bundesliga and second Bundesliga matches on the Fußball Bundesliga channels
• Live football from the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, the DFB-Pokal, the Premier League as well as other sports, including Formula One, golf, tennis, ice hockey and much more • Up-to-date sport news around the clock with Sky Sport News HD • Hundreds of movies on demand
• The best US series on demand and in HD
• A dedicated kids’ zone with selected series and films for viewers between the ages of 3 and 12.
Sky Go on the Xbox 360
• With Kinect for the Xbox 360, it’s possible to navigate programming with simple hand gestures
• Up-to-date sport news around the clock with Sky Sport News HD • All live sport events from the Sport Package and the Fußball Bundesliga Package • Hundreds of movies from the Sky film channels on demand • The best US series on demand and in HD • A dedicated kids’ zone with selected series and films for viewers between the ages of 3 and 12.
Sky Go
W orld o f E nt er tainmen t32
32
33
33
Sky Go
Do you want world-class football or cinema moments to remember? With the Sky second smartcard
(Zweitkarte), customers can enjoy their favourite programs at the same time and in different rooms.
Customers who opt for the second smartcard automatically have access to Sky Go on the web, iPad,
iPhone or iPod touch and the Xbox 360 without additional costs.
• Double the return of a subscription at a favorable price
• Watch two different Sky channels in separate rooms at the same time
• All channels and programming that are available on the first smartcard
are also available on the second smartcard
• All the benefits of Sky Go are included
Twice as much fun with the 2
nd
smartcard
World of E
nt
er
tainmen
34
Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
1)
Sky Starter Package – A wide range of programming at a low price with 21 channels from the Sky Welt Package
Sky Welt Package – A range of programming on up to 50 channels
Including 13 HD channels
Top international series, including many German TV premieres for series fans.
TM
Top international series, including many German TV premieres for series fans.
TM
Top international sports live: winter sports, tennis, cycling and track and field.
Fascinating and compelling documentaries about nature and wildlife.
Fun and entertainment for kids and teens.
Fascinating and compelling documentaries about nature and wildlife.
Fun and entertainment for kids and teens.
Fascinating and com-pelling documentaries about nature and wildlife in HD.
1)
Series and films for fans of adventure, mystery, fantasy and science fiction.
Sexy TV with tantalizing eroticism.
Series and films for fans of adventure, mystery, fantasy and science fiction.
Sexy TV with tantalizing eroticism.
Fun and entertainment for kids and teens in HD.
1)
TV premieres of international series and popular classis for series fans.
24 hour sport news from around the world.
TV premieres of international series and popular classis for series fans.
24 hour sport news from around the world.
24 hour sport news from around the world live and in HD.
1)
Documentaries about German and international history.
The channel for cool kids with plenty of excitement, action and fun.
Documentaries about German and international history.
The channel for cool kids with plenty of excitement, action and fun.
Documentaries on historical events from throughout the ages in HD. 2) German and international crime series and documentaries.
The channel for oldies fans with the biggest hits, concerts and interviews.
German and international crime series and documentaries.
The channel for oldies fans with the biggest hits, concerts and interviews.
Top international series, including many German TV premieres for series fans in HD.
2)
High-tension excitement with international crime series and thrillers.
Concerts, opera and ballet at world-class level.
High-tension excitement with international crime series and thrillers.
Concerts, opera and ballet at world-class level.
TV premieres of international series and popular classis for series fans in HD.
2)
Entertaining coverage on cars and motor sports.
Age-appropriate channel for preschoolers.
Entertaining coverage on cars and motor sports.
Age-appropriate channel for preschoolers.
Series and films for fans of adventure, mystery, fantasy and science fiction in HD.
3)
Non-stop hunt for criminals with Germany’s most popular police investigators.
Entertainment for the entire family with children‘s classics.
Non-stop hunt for criminals with Germany’s most popular police investigators.
Entertainment for the entire family with children‘s classics.
High-tension excitement with international crime series and thrillers in HD.
3)
Television for explorers with exciting documentaries.
Television with Entertainment for the entire family: popular German “Heimatfilme” and series.
Television for explorers with exciting documentaries.
Television with Entertainment for the entire family: popular German “Heimatfilme” and series.
Television for explorers with exciting documentaries in HD.
HD movies and series that are packed with action and excitement.
2)
Exciting documentaries on adventure, technology, nature and science.
Pure emotions. Series and films about love and passion.
Exciting documentaries on adventure, technology, nature and science.
Pure emotions. Series and films about love and passion.
Exciting documentaries on adventure, technology, nature and science in HD.
Music television in HD – with live music, clips and documentaries.
3)
The entire channel variety of Sky at a glance:
34
35
35
Additionaly available via satellite:
Film Package
European arthouse cinema for true film fans.
Live sports from the USA in the original English, with NFL, NHL, MLB and NCAA.
Not to be taken serious-ly: Sky Comedy shows the best and funniest comedies.
The movie channel for the whole family with beloved Disney classics and new hits in HD.
Time to let your feelings run free with TV movies and series.
Great emotions from the cinema, day after day.
Top football in the best HD quality
The best entertainment for kids of all ages.
Movie classics from the 30s to the 70s.
Even more live sports, including tennis and golf, in brilliant HD quality.
Sport Package
Premium HD channels6
Fußball Bundesliga Package
The classic for football fans: all matches from the Bundesliga and the second Bundesliga. Movies and series that
are packed with action and excitement.
Inspiration for home and garden, cooking and lifestyle, travel and relaxation.
Your private cinema with some 20 German TV premieres every month.
Your private cinema in HD quality with some 20 German TV premieres every month. Top national and inter-national football.
Weitere Sender folgen.
HD+ channels available for 12 months at no cost5 with satellite reception
Television with emotion – popular German soaps and TV events.
Entertainment with the world’s most popular anime productions.
Too late? A thing of the past. Watch everything from Sky Cinema an hour later.
Outstanding HBO series in HD as exclusive TV premieres. Top sports, including golf, tennis and much more.
4)
A cinema experience with hit Hollywood movies from recent decades.
MTV cult-classics and exclusive premieres without commercial breaks.
Watch everything from Sky Cinema again the next day.
Brace yourself for extreme excitement: with action, horror and sci-fi in HD. Live sports from Austria.
3)
2)
Children’s entertainment packed with adventure and action.
The movie channel for the whole family with beloved Disney classics and new hits.
Top live sports from the USA in the original English, with NFL, NHL, MLB and NCAA – all in HD.
2)
Documentaries about historical events from throughout the ages.
Movie classics from Hol-lywood, where dreams are made.
Thrilling sports live, inclu-ding the ATP World Tour, top international football, motor sports, handball and the ice-hockey world cham-pionships.
2)
Documentaries about real-life stories and biographies.
Germany’s first 3D event channel on Sky.
2) 4)
The largest selection of classic movies from the 40s to the 2000s.
Top international sports live.
Brace yourself for extreme excitement: with action, horror and sci-fi.
The best movies of recent decades in HD.
1)
The greatest cartoon stars of all time and outstanding family cinema.
The best movies of recent decades.
For those who want something extra – even more live sports in HD.
1)
1) Available via satellite and most cable networks. For more information, see: sky.de/senderempfang 2) Available via satellite and limited cable networks. For more information, see: sky.de/senderempfang 3) Only available via satellite.
4) Sat.1 Emotions and Kabel eins Classics comprise the “ProSiebenSat.1 Package”.
5) When concluding a Sky subscription, the HD+ channels will be available free of charge for 12 months. After that period, you can book HD+ for a further 12 months for a flat-rate service fee of EUR 50. The contractual partner for HD+ is HD PLUS GmbH.
6) Which HD channels can be booked for your subscription depends on the subscribed packages and the type of reception. 7) To be able to receive 3D, you will need a “Sky Ready” HD receiver, a 3D-capable television set and special glasses. Sky 3D is initially
only available via satellite and in certain cable networks. Status: January 2013
W orld o f E nt er tainmen t
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Great TV deserves
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eholders
Some say evolution. Some say revolution. Whatever you think about the exciting advances in HD
technol-ogy, there’s no place to see them like Sky. TV enthusiasts who want not just new movie releases, the
hot-test TV series and exclusive live sports, but also want to be the first to experience the lahot-test in TV
enter-tainment technology have come to the right place. We understand the future of television. And we are
excited about it. This is what has made Sky the innovation leader in the German and Austrian TV markets.
The introduction of HD TV was no exception. We pioneered it in our markets and our customers were
the first to be convinced by its crisp picture quality and brilliant color. Others have followed suit, of
course, but Sky remains the HD market leader with the largest selection of HD channels – up to 64 in
total as of January 2013. No other provider can match that.
The HD revolution – or evolution depending on how you see it – is only beginning. We intend to stay out
ahead of it, continually enhancing our lineup of world-class sports events, the latest movie releases,
award-winning series and compelling documentaries, all with astounding picture quality, to deliver an
ever-better television experience. In 2012 alone, we added 22 new HD channels, among them
Sky Atlantic HD, TNT Serie HD, AXN HD, Discovery Channel HD as well as new up-and-comers like Syfy
HD and 13th Street Universal HD. There will be more to come so stay tuned.
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Dear shareholders,
2012 has been a fantastic year for Sky: we improved our results considerably, delivered a substantial range of new products and services, reached record customer satisfaction and recommendation levels, and positioned Sky for a strong future.
We have laid a solid foundation for sustainable success. Alongside our renewed and extended exclusive broadcasting rights for the Bundesliga and other leading football and sport competitions, 2012 was full of important achievements: major Hollywood studio renewals, agreements with major cable network providers, the creation of leading premium HD offers in Germany and Austria, as well as a whole raft of exciting innovations and enhanced products for our services Sky+, Sky Anytime, and Sky Go, not to mention dramatic improvements in our customer service. Combine all this with the new financing structure we secured in January 2013 and we now have a unique long-term perspective with enhanced opportunities and greater flexibility.
Our subscription figures for full year 2012 showed great progress: • Total customers increased by 12 percent to 3,363,000 • Sky Premium HD customers climbed 56 percent to 1,514,000 • Sky+ customers went up 126 percent to 929,000
• Second smartcard customers jumped 98 percent to 346,000 • Sky Go customer sessions increased by 335 percent to 33.3 million
We delivered a substantial volume of high-quality programming, exciting innovations and outstanding service to our customers:
• Bundesliga: Our most important achievement this year was securing the complete and exclusive live Bundesliga rights through the 2016/17 season, as well as the rights for all Austrian Bundesliga matches through the 2015/16 season.
• Movies: We extended and expanded our exclusive contracts with major Hollywood studios and many others to also include multi-platform and on-demand distribution. Together with other important rights exten-sions in 2012, Sky customers are guaranteed an unrivalled slate of top-class entertainment, wherever and whenever they want.
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• HD portfolio: We significantly expanded our HD portfolio from 42 channels to 64 HD channels (as of 17/01/2013). A major milestone was the launch of Sky Atlantic HD, the Home of HBO. Following agreements with all major cable providers, the channel is now available throughout Germany and Austria.
• Ultra HD: For the first time in German television history, we tested a live production of a football match in Ultra HD. This is just another way we are ensuring that our customers will always be on the cutting edge of great entertainment.
• Sky Anytime: We added even more exclusive, first-run blockbuster movies, as well as the latest hit TV series, exciting documentaries and select children’s programming.
• Sky Go: Customers can now enjoy a substantially wider range of content with popular TV series and films, including a large selection of titles from Sky Atlantic HD’s outstanding program line-up. We also expanded Sky Go for iPhone by offering three additional HD sports channels. The introduc-tion of a dedicated kids’ zone was our most recent innovaintroduc-tion.
• Marketing and distribution: We concluded marketing cooperations with major German cable network providers Kabel BW, Unitymedia, and Kabel Deutschland. And we also secured an IPTV distribution partnership with Deutsche Telekom, which will give Deutsche Telekom’s customers full access to Sky products for the first time.
Record audience levels underline the growing appeal of our exclusive high-quality content. Our programming line-up is clearly resonating with the viewers, reaching over 20 million people over the course of the year. Sky Deutschland was also recognized by multiple awards in 2012. When judged against all the premium TV providers in Germany, Sky was recognized as the service leader in its category. The TÜV awarded Sky with their official
seal of approval for delivering top service and the company was voted the “fairest Premium TV provider” by Focus-Money magazine. In addition, Sky secured the Sport Bild Award for the best TV sports editorial department for the fourth time, which highlights Sky’s dedication to delivering compelling content to its customers.
Over the past three years we have seen continuous improvement in the overall performance of our business. The result is a solid foundation for sustainable success. We will continue to deliver exciting innovations for our customers and to expand our growing portfolio of great entertainment products and services, to exploit the full potential of this underpenetrated and expanding pay-TV opportunity.
Looking back on how far we have come in such a short amount of time and how much further we intend to go, I couldn’t be more excited. On behalf of the Board at Sky, I would like to thank our customers and viewers for their loyalty, our shareholders for their ongoing support, and our people for their passionate commitment.
Yours sincerely, Brian Sullivan
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Steven Tomsic Chief Financial Officer
• born 1969
• entered the Company in December 2010 as Deputy Chief Financial Officer • comprehensive industry experience, particularly in financing, and very good
knowledge about the Company as a former supervisory board member of Sky Deutschland AG
• Chief Financial Officer since February 2011
Brian Sullivan
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
• born 1962 • entered the Company as Deputy CEO in January 2010 • more than 20 years of pay-TV experience in the US and Europe • Chief Executive Officer since April 2010 • in December 2012 contract extension through December 2014 Carsten Schmidt
Chief Officer Sports, Advertising Sales & Internet
• born 1963
• entered the Company in July 1999
• comprehensive knowledge in the fields of sports media, media sales, sports programming and production as well as the acquisition of sports rights • Member of the Management Board since March 2006
Dr. Holger Enßlin
Chief Officer Legal, Regulatory & Distribution
• born 1967
• entered the Company in October 2003
• long-term experience as a lawyer and as General Counsel of the Company • Member of the Management Board since 1 December 2008
• responsible for the business unit “Distribution” since December 2010
Members of the Management Board
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Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
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Share information
Development of share capital
As of 31 December 2012, Sky Deutschland AG’s share capital amounted to €778,909,762 with 778,909,762 issued shares. Sky Deutschland AG announced on 26 January 2011 that the Company had placed a convertible bond to News Adelaide Holdings. This bond can be converted into
53,914,182 ordinary registered shares stemming from contingent capital. The convertible bond has a four year maturity and the conversion price has been set at €3.053.
On 14 January 2013, Sky, its new bank syndicate, News Adelaide Holdings B.V. and News Corporation agreed to a new comprehensive long-term financing structure for Sky. It comprises of five-year bank credit facilities of €300 million guaranteed by News Corporation and its subsidiary News America Incorporated, a Bundesliga guarantee provided by News Corpora-tion, the extension of the existing shareholder loans, as well as the issuance of new equity of €438 million (gross proceeds) via the combination of a private placement and a rights issue. The convertible bond remains un-changed. As of 7 February 2013, Sky Deutschland AG’s share capital amounted to €877,200,755 with 877,200,755 issued shares.
Sky share information (as of 1 January 2013)
ISIN DE000SKYD000
Stock category Ordinary registered shares
Stock segment Frankfurt Official Market
Market segment Prime Standard
Key Figures for the Sky share 2012 2011
Year-end closing pricec (in €) 4.133 1.406
High (in €) 4.172 3.87
Low (in €) 1.41 1.32
Number of shares at 31 December 778,909,762 708,099,784
Market capitalistion at year-end (in € million) 3,219 996
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Share price development
Sky’s share price1 traded up from € 1.41 at the end of December 2011 to
€ 4.13 on 31 December 2012 as shown in the chart above.
Sky Deutschland AG shares increased by 193 percent over the course of 2012. In the same period, the DAX increased by 29 percent and the MDAX increased by 33 percent.
Based on the closing price, Sky Deutschland AG’s market capitalisation on 31 December 2012 was €3,219 million with a free float market capitalisation of €1,613 million.
The average daily trading volume in 2012 was 2,701,469 shares.
Inclusion in indices
The Sky stock is part of the MDAX and was ranked 22nd in terms of trading volume and 18th in terms of market capitalisation on 31 December 2012. In addition to being represented in other indices of the DAX family such as DAXsector Media, Sky shares are also included in the MSCI Global Investable Market and the Dow Jones STOXX indices.
1 The stated share prices are based on the daily XETRA closing prices of the German Stock Exchange
5.0 € 4.5 € 4.0 € 3.5 € 3.0 € 2.5 € 2.0 € 1.5 € 1.0 €
Jan 12 Feb 12 Mar 12 Apr 12 May 12 Jun 12 Jul 12 Aug 12 Sep 12 Oct 12 Nov 12 Dec 12
Sky Deutschland AG MDAX DAX
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Sky Deutschland AG | Annual Report 2012
All shares other than those held by News Corporation are included in the free float as defined by the standards of the German Stock Exchange.
Shares held by News Corporation
News Adelaide Holdings B.V., a fully-owned indirect subsidiary of News Corporation, currently holds 480,988,261 shares in Sky Deutschland AG. This equates to 54.83 percent.
Shares held by institutional investors
Institutional investors who exceed notifiable thresholds of voting rights in Sky Deutschland AG are:
Odey Asset Management LLP (notification of 22 June 2012, stake of 14.95 percent). The voting rights of Odey Investment Funds plc. (notification of 6 December 2012, stake of 3.83 percent) are to be attributed to Odey Asset Management LLP.
Shares held by Management
Brian Sullivan, CEO, held 30,000 shares of Sky Deutschland AG on 31 December 2012.
Dr. Holger Enßlin, Chief Officer Legal, Regulatory & Distribution, held 15,000 Sky shares on 31 December 2012.
Shares held by members of the Supervisory Board
Dr. Stefan Jentzsch, member of the Supervisory Board of Sky Deutschland AG, held 120,000 Sky shares on 31 December 2012.
Harald Rösch, member of the Supervisory Board of Sky Deutschland AG, held 29,750 Sky shares on 31 December 2012.
Shareholder structure
Sky Deutschland AG’s share capital currently amounts to € 877,200,755 with 877,200,755 issued shares.
News Corporation Free Float
45.2%
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Sky+ Customers
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Today’s busy lifestyles mean that TV enthusiasts can’t always control their schedules and tune in when
they’d like to. Sky puts its customers back in the driver’s seat with the launch of Sky+, its first
fully-inte-grated hard disk receiver.
Sky+ allows users to pause, rewind and re-watch programs as they air. Customers can also record one
show while simultaneously watching another, store the recordings in their own personal library and watch
them whenever they choose.
Combine Sky+ with Sky Anytime and customers pilot a state-of-the-art entertainment vehicle that offers
comfort and versatility. Sports highlights, the latest series, exclusive broadcasts and so much more are all
available on demand. New content is offered daily – most of it in brilliant HD quality.
Many have already taken the wheel. In the past year, the number of Sky+ receivers in Sky households
increased by 126 percent, with a total of 929,000 customers currently enjoying all the devices have to
offer. The number of Sky households with a Sky+ hard disk receiver rose from 14 percent at the end of
2011 to around 28 percent by the end of 2012. The launch of Sky+ and Sky Anytime has also had a major
impact on our overall subscriber figures and helped to raise customer satisfaction.
Soon we’ll be equipping Sky+ with an optional two-terabyte hard disk. Customers will be able to load up on
one-terabyte worth of their favorite recordings with another terabyte available for Sky Anytime, putting them
in command of up to 600 hours of recordings and more than 400 Sky Anytime on-demand programs.
Business operations
Sky is the leading pay-TV provider in Germany and Austria, with 3.4 million subscribers. Across a selection of more than 70 channels, customers can experience exclusive live sports, blockbuster movies, award-winning series, children’s programming and documentaries. As of 17 January 2013, subscribers can also watch up to 64 channels in brilliant HD quality, including one 3D channel. Sky reaches almost every household in Germany and around 91 percent in Austria via satellite, cable and internet. And with Sky Go, the leading over-the-top (OTT) pay-TV service in Germany and Austria, Sky programming is available on a broad range of devices such as the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and the Xbox 360.
Following rights renewals for leading football competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and the DFB-Pokal, in April 2012 Sky secured an enhanced package of Bundesliga rights for the 2013/14 to 2016/17 seasons. This coupled with renewed rights for other important sports tournaments and competitions, major Hollywood studio extensions, as well as marketing cooperations with important cable and network providers provide Sky with a unique long-term perspective with enhanced opportunities for growth and innovation.
To enjoy Sky, customers subscribe to a basic package, Sky Welt, which comprises a diverse selection of up to 50 channels from all categories and up to 13 HD channels. To supplement the basic package, subscribers also have the option to subscribe to one or more of the three premium packages: Sky Film, Sky Fußball Bundesliga and Sky Sport, each complemented by an add-on HD option which needs separate booking. Sky+ gives customers the comfort of an integrated HD hard disk receiver and the advantages of the video-on demand service Sky Anytime. Sky also offers the latest blockbuster movies, live sports programming and adult entertainment on a pay-per-view basis.
Over the last four years the company has completed a series of financial measures aimed at ensuring business continuity and focused on turning around the full business to take it to sustainable profitability. In order to drive subscriber and revenue growth, Sky expanded its programme offering with a clear focus on HD, launched the Sky+ hard disk receiver, invested in innova-tions and product extensions, implemented new sales and distribution initiatives and dramatically improved customer service. With these measures, Sky has laid solid foundations on which to grow its business.
General conditions and economic environment
Economic environment Short-term economic strain
According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the German economy grew by 0.7 percent (adjusted for price) during 2012, showing itself to be quite robust in the context of a difficult economic environment across Europe. Forecasters predict continued modest growth with the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) expecting full-year 2013 growth in gross domestic product (GDP) to be approximately 0.9 percent while the German Central Bank (Bundesbank) anticipates growth of 0.4 percent However, the German Central Bank anticipates only a temporary slowdown that should have no negative effects on employment. According to DIW, domestic demand will continue to be the largest driver of current economic growth in Germany. This is primarily attributed to the stable job market with the prospect of rising wages. Indeed, significant wage increases have already been agreed upon in some industries for 2013.
Combined Management Report
Business and strategy
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Growing pay-TV market
While pay-TV in Germany has underperformed in the last 20 years, the industry has been gaining traction since 2010, with pay-TV penetration growing from 10.3 percent in 2008 to 17.1 percent (Germany and Austria) at the end of 2011. Sky is the leading pay-TV provider in Germany and Austria. Other pay-TV operators include cable network providers such as Kabel Deutschland, Unitymedia, Kabel BW, Tele Columbus, PrimaCom and KabelKiosk, as well as IPTV platforms such as Entertain by Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone TV. Compared to European peer markets, pay-TV penetration in Germany and Austria is well below average.
Sky expects the growth trend to continue over the coming years with HDTV being one of the key drivers for successful marketing of paid content. The number of HD enabled TV sets is increasing strongly. At the end of 2011, approximately 63 percent of German and Austrian TV households – or 27 million of 42 million TV households – own a HD enabled TV set compared with only 42 percent in 2009 according to market research organisation IHS Screen Digest. The organisation expects the number of HD households to grow to around 30 million by the end of 2012. (source: © IHS, www.ihs.com, July 2012. All rights reserved)
Source: © GfK Economic expectations Income expectations Willingness to buy Consumer climate Q1 2011 Q2 2011 Q3 2011 Q4 2011 Q1 2012 Q2 2012 Q3 2012 Q4 2012
Mixed consumer climate
Consumer concerns over international economic volatility continued at year’s end, which led to mixed consumer sentiment in December. While income expectations grew slightly, the economic outlook and propensity to buy both decreased. Despite a moderate fall, consumer sentiment generally remains at a supportive level to drive further expansion in domestic demand. Ger/A UK France* 35.3 26.9 56.8 17.1 59.4 Italy Spain* Pay TV penetration (in %)
Source: Copyright © IHS, www.ihs.com, October 2012 (*April 2012).All rights reserved; annual reports of the providers; press releases
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Competition
Sky competes with a number of media and entertainment companies to secure a supply of attractive programming for its customers. As a provider of TV entertainment, Sky faces competition from free-to-air (FTA) services, among others. In Germany and Austria, FTA channels operated by public and private broadcasters – in particular ARD, ZDF, ORF, RTL and ProSiebenSat.1 – offer competitive programming, e.g. films, series and live sports. Sky also faces competition from platform operators offering both pay-TV packages and video-on demand services often bundled with telecommunication services. Besides the core subscription business, Sky competes with other media and entertainment companies for advertising sales. To set itself apart from the competition, Sky focuses on the promise of delivering a unique entertainment experience through the combination of exclusive high quality content, exciting innovations and great customer service.
Political and legal environment
At the copyright forum in September 2012, the Federal Minister of Justice announced the draft for an amendment to German Copyright Law as well as a “bouquet” of measures to strengthen copyright. These measures have not yet been issued.
As before, Sky Deutschland supports additional initiatives to protect against the financing of websites with illegal content through advertising.
On a European level, the commission has begun consulting on processes and measures for private enforcement of intellectual property rights. This information will be used to improve private enforcement among member states. Sky Deutschland welcomes this consultation and is actively working on submissions with German organisations.
The drafts for so-called advertising guidelines which were prepared as part of the new state gambling treaty took effect from the beginning of February 2013. The advertising guidelines regulate the conditions for advertising on TV and the internet in the sports betting market and also include a prelimi-nary examination of the advertising to be shown.
Strategy
At Sky, the focus of business operations is on acquiring and retaining customers and increasing ARPU to grow revenue to deliver sustainable profitability. In order to accomplish this, the Company strives to offer exclusive high quality programming, develop groundbreaking innovations and support this with outstanding customer service. The introduction of the Sky brand to the German and Austrian markets in 2009 came with the promise of quality, innovation and value. Since then, Sky has delivered constant innovation and continuously expanded its content and service offering. As a result, customer satisfaction is at close to record high levels.
Business development in the year 2012
2012 was significant for Sky in a number of ways. The steadily rising customer base and continued growth in ARPU led to a strong increase in revenue and an improvement in the overall financial result. With the purchase of expanded exclusive broadcast rights for the Bundesliga until the 2016/2017 season, Sky secured its largest and most important programming rights package which adds IPTV and mobile distribution to the existing cable, satellite and open internet rights. The company also reached wide-ranging sales and marketing agreements with the major German cable operators Unitymedia, Kabel BW and Kabel Deutschland, as well as a partnership with Deutsche Telekom to feed in the program packages of Sky over Telekom’s IPTV network. In addition to high quality programming, Sky continues to offer innovations that clearly improve the entertainment experience. This is reflected in strong levels of customer satisfaction and recommendation rates. The demand for Sky’s leading HD offering remains strong, serving as an important driver of growth. Over two million Sky subscribers already enjoy high definition television, and with an HD offering from Sky that spans over 60 HD channels, they have a broad channel offering from which to choose from. The innovative services Sky Go and Sky Anytime also saw major expansion, while the penetration of the Sky+ HD hard disk receiver virtually doubled during 2012. The receiver is fully integrated into the Sky service and helps to generate a more loyal customer base.
Unique content
Sky offers the most exclusive and highest-quality TV programming in Germany and Austria. To secure and improve its leading TV offering, Sky consistently acquires and renews key content rights.
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Film Package: Home of Movies
A core aspect of the Sky service is its exclusive film offering with about 20 TV premieres per month up to a year before they air on free TV. Ten film channels bring over 80 films from different genres every day in brilliant digital picture quality, 16:9 format, optionally in original English version and with Dolby Digital sound.
In January 2012, Sky and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution announced the expansion of their cooperation. The long-term agreement includes the exclusive payTV and SVoD rights for all new releases during the first linear pay-TV window. The films are also available via Sky Go and Sky Anytime. In addition, Sky expanded its position as the number one film broadcaster in Germany and Austria in the first quarter of 2012 through additional multi-platform contracts with three independent German film suppliers: Splendid, Telepool and Tobis. The agreements encompass linear broadcast-ing on all Sky film channels as well as exclusive SVoD and VoD rights for use on Sky Anytime, Sky Select and Sky Go.
In June 2012, Sky and Sony Pictures Television agreed on a multi-year exten-sion of their cooperation. The contract includes the exclusive pay-TV and SVoD rights for all current Sony Pictures films on all platforms, including satellite, cable, IPTV, internet and mobile devices during the first linear pay-TV window. And for the first time, Sky also acquired from Sony Pictures the licence to broadcast brand new TV series for the first time on German television as well as catalogue titles.
The agreement with Constantin Film on the pay-TV premiere rights for Constantin productions and co-productions from July 2012 underlines the position of Sky as the number one in the film sector in Germany and Austria. In addition to linear broadcasting through the Sky film channels, Sky also secured the PPV and TvoD as well as SVoD rights. This means that the content will also be available via Sky Select as well as Sky Anytime and Sky Go.
Additionally, Sky once again secured film rights to broadcast the first-rate offering of Tele München Group (TMG). The new contract, which was concluded in August 2012, grants Sky exclusive pay-TV rights to new hit films as well as catalogue titles. Tele München Group is one of the most important independent film rights companies in Germany.
Sky Atlantic HD
Launched in May 2012, Sky Atlantic HD broadcasts the critically acclaimed productions from HBO, the most successful premium channel in the US. All programmes are available in both German and the original English, and some air in Germany and Austria directly after the US premiere. Sky Atlantic HD broadcasts exclusively in HD and is available to customers with the Film package and HD. The content from Sky Atlantic HD is also available on demand through the innovative services Sky Anytime and Sky Go.
Emmy-winning shows and films on Sky
The Emmy Awards nominate the best programmes in television. The following prize-winners of the current year can be seen on Sky: “Boardwalk Empire” (Sky Atlantic HD)
“Game of Thrones” (Sky Atlantic HD) “Downton Abbey” (Sky Emotion) “Veep” (Sky Atlantic HD)
“Hemingway & Gellhorn” (Sky Atlantic HD) “Game Change” (Sky Atlantic HD) “Breaking Bad” (AXN)
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Sky Atlantic HD) “The Good Wife” (Fox HD)
“American Horror Story” (Fox HD) “The Walking Dead” (Fox HD) “Two And A Half Men” (TNT Serie HD)
“George Harrison – Living in the Material World” (Spiegel Geschichte)
The “Harald Schmidt Show”
In September 2012, German “Late Night King” Harald Schmidt began presenting his “Harald Schmidt Show” exclusively on Sky Atlantic HD, Sky Hits, Sky Hits HD and Sky Comedy as well as via Sky Go and Sky Anytime.
Sky Welt: Entertainment for the entire family
The Sky Welt package provides a comprehensive entertainment offering for the entire family: from crime to documentaries, comedies, science fiction and kids’ programming as well as a large and diverse selection of HD content.
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