KGUIDE_1016_INTERVIEWS_DIST_1207_INTERVIEWS 9/19/16 12:39 PM Page 3
Claude Schmit CEO Super RTL TV KIDS: Has the increased competition in the German kids’ market led you to reevaluate Super RTL’s programming strategy? SCHMIT: When Disney left as a program supplier we lost about 30 percent of our daytime programming. We had to compensate for the loss, and one of the pillars is in-house production. The strategy now is to have at least two slots for inhouse production per day in access prime time. So, we need a lot of shows to compete in that very competitive environment. We have been developing quite a lot of shows over the last year. TV KIDS: Are you also exploring new partnerships for thirdparty content? SCHMIT: DreamWorks Animation was one of the main answers to our programming issues caused by the loss of the Disney content. That partnership has turned out very well. The ratings are fantastic. We also looked into more nostalgic programming. Parents may not necessarily know DreamWorks, but they are familiar with Warner Bros. series like Tom and Jerry. TV KIDS: What led to the launch of the SVOD service kividoo? SCHMIT: We started analyzing the SVOD market about five or six years ago. [Our] business plans were ready, but we decided it was simply too early to move. Then, Netflix entered the market and vitalized SVOD. We thought it seemed to be the time to surf on the Netflix wave, so to speak. We launched kividoo, an SVOD service just for kids. I’m very positive about the outlook. We have been in the subscription business for quite some time, with Toggolino-Club and Toggo-CleverClub, so we know the numbers. Our business plan was not based on getting millions of subscribers. We are on target as far as our numbers are concerned, subscription-wise and money-wise. Do I expect kividoo to replace our linear advertising revenues in the near future? No. So for us it is a test to find out what kids are appreciating and what their parents are spending money on. 23