The international program production and distribution network Red Arrow Entertainment Group generates more than 70% of its revenues in the US. With program investments of EUR 33 billion in 2015, the US is the most important and largest TV market in the world. The market research institute SNL Kagan expects investments to further increase in the coming years. The greatest demand is still for English-language fiction programs. Around 490 TV series were broadcast in the US in 2017, representing a new record high. In 2016, there had been 455 series, while in 2010 the figure had been 216. The US cable transmitter FX Networks expects more than 500 series to be produced in 2018. This is partially due to the sharp increase in the number of free and pay TV channels. According to Nielsen Media figures from 2016, an American household receives an average of 206 programs. In 2008, it was 129.
At the same time, the group of commissioners for high-quality productions has increased in recent years to include the operators of multinational streaming platforms such as Amazon and Netflix. These platforms have steadily increased their spending on in-house productions and also plan to spend more on their own content in the years ahead. As a result, Red Arrow Entertainment Group’s potential customer group in the US has become considerably larger. The ProSiebenSat.1 subsidiary has therefore increasingly directed its strategic focus at the US market, including when it comes to acquisitions. In 2017, Red Arrow acquired a majority interest in the global film distributor Gravitas Ventures and entered into a partnership with the newly established US production company 10Fold. The Year 2017 at a Glance