In the four quarters of 2010, ATM Group, Poland’s largest independent television and film producer, posted PLN 113 million in revenue, up 12% over the same period in 2009, and PLN 3 million in net profit, up PLN 2.9 million.
2010 was a rebound year for the television sector – revenues from advertising grew fast (as prices for advertising time rose), which considerable improved the situation of the media industry. Major broadcasters invested more in their program offerings and in buying new productions. The current advertising revival is also apparent in thematic channels, which are becoming more popular every year. One example is channel TVP Seriale, launched in late 2010 by Telewizja Polska.
In 2010 ATM Group produced three new television series and continued with a number of ongoing productions:
ü “Licencja na wychowanie”, a family series airing on TVP2 that follows two families who take totally different approaches to bringing up their offspring; a new season kicked off on February 28, 2011
ü “Ludzie Chudego”, a criminal comedy series airing on Polsat that follows a group of clumsy Praga-based policemen; a new season is in production
ü “Ratownicy”, a series about the professional and personal lives of a mountain rescue team; the first season aired in the fall of 2010
ü “First Love”, “Kiepski’s World”, “Ojciec Mateusz”, “The Ranch”, “Tancerze”
“Ojciec Mateusz”, which in February 2011 won the Telekamera for best weekly series, is very popular in Poland. The series, produced by Baltmedia, a company wholly owned by ATM Grupa S.A. that specializes in film and television production, has been airing on TVP1 since December 2008. As the series is hugely popular, its producer, Baltmedia, decided to make it into a movie. Work has already started on the script of a feature-length film which will be helmed by Maciej Dejczer. The movie is slated for release in the winter 2012/2013.
In addition to producing television programs, ATM Grupa S.A. also invested in logistics and technology. In 2010 the company began construction of the ATM Studio Production and Film Center in Warsaw, which will comprise six sound stages for television and film production. 2010 also saw investment in new market segments – in September 2010 ATM Group acquired a 50% stake in Aidem Media, developer of children’s computer games.
“ATM Group companies’ productions such as “First Love”, “Ojciec Mateusz” and “The Ranch” had a significant impact on our 2010 financial results. The new partnerships with MTV, Polsat Play and Polsat Cafe also had an effect on our financial performance. Our steadily growing portfolio enables us to strengthen our position in the television production industry. Due to our results, we can produce pilot episodes of new productions at our own cost. The series “Licencja na wychowanie” is a great example of how successful such efforts can be. Alongside our ongoing productions, we also plan to launch production of new series and feature films, including a movie about the Warsaw Uprising, which we will make in collaboration with TVN and Akson. The completion in 2011 of the ATM Studio will enable us to produce big live-audience shows, TV series and feature films. The operations of our subsidiaries will certainly have a positive impact on our financial results in the coming quarters”, says Maciej Grzywaczewski, deputy CEO of ATM Group.
Major events in the fourth quarter of 2010:
