In the first quarter of 2012 ATM Group, Poland’s largest independent television and film producer, posted 23.7 million PLN in revenue, down 13.4%, and 475 thousand PLN in net income, down 68.3%.
The Group’s financial results for the first quarter of 2012 are down compared to the same period of 2011 due to rising financial costs and costs of services sold associated with the opening of the ATM Studio production complex in Warsaw, the repayment of a loan used to develop the complex, and the launch of the ATM Rozrywka channel on Poland’s first multiplex (MUX1). Another contributing factor was the advertising slowdown. According to Starlink data, the Polish advertising market shrank 2.3% in the first quarter of 2012. In addition, one of ATM Grupa S.A.’s key customers, TVP, made spending cuts due to falling revenue.
Despite all this, the company has maintained a stable market position as it continued to produce its television series which, like “Father Matthew” and “The Ranch”, rank among the five most-watched Polish productions. At the end of January, TVP1 started broadcasting “The Mall”, ATM Grupa S.A.’s new soap. The company also produces the enduringly popular series “Kiepski’s World” and “First Love”. “Kiepski’s World”, which celebrated its 13th anniversary in March, is the second longest-running Polish series after “Klan”, with an audience of almost 3 million*. In turn “First Love”, which hit its 1500th episode mark in March, is the most-watched access prime time series and the second Polish daily series alongside “M Like Love”, regularly attracting an over 30% share in the 16-49 demographic. ATM Group company Baltmedia is currently producing the crime series “Na krawędzi”, which Polsat plans to broadcast this fall. ATM continues to develop partnerships with smaller channels, including thematic channels. In March 2012, TV4 aired “Krzysztof Rutkowski, słucham?”, a documentary produced by the company’s production crew. In addition, the Group is developing new projects for its customers.
ATM Group is actively involved in the ongoing digitization process – now a key event for television broadcasters and production companies. After getting a terrestrial television license from the National Broadcasting Council in 2011, the Group launched ATM Rozrywka TV on Poland’s first multiplex (MUX1) in February 2012. The channel’s new schedule will kick off by the end of May 2012 before the start of the 2012 European Soccer Championship. ATM Rozrywka TV broadcasts films, series, entertainment shows as well as docu-soaps and documentaries.
In addition to television production, ATM Grupa S.A. is steadily expanding its services for the film and television production industry. ATM System, an ATM Group company that provides technical support for television productions and large events, is experiencing fast growth. In 2012 the number of ATM System’s international projects will rise significantly. After the EuroBasket Women 2011, ATM System has secured deals for technical support for large, prestigious international events such as the French Open, Wimbledon and the 30th Summer Olympics in London. In Poland, ATM System produced 2011-2012 Ekstraklasa games and is currently providing technical support for the Polish-British co-production “The Spies of Warsaw”, a two-part feature movie shot in Warsaw and Kraków. The Executive Board of ATM Grupa S.A. hopes that interest in ATM System’s offering will grow, especially as the company has acquired an innovative 2D and 3D production system – the first such equipment in Poland. In May the system was used to provide live broadcast coverage of the Speedway Grand Prix in Prague on Canal+.
Despite the usual start-of-the-year doldrums, a considerable number of projects were in production at the ATM Studio film and television production complex, which ATM Group opened in September 2011 in Warsaw. In the first quarter of 2012 the complex hosted the production of the series “Piąty stadion” and music show “Battle of Voices” for TVP. ATM Studio is also attracting considerable interest from the advertising industry. Recent productions shot in ATM Studio include a BZ WBK commercial starring Chuck Norris and an international Pantene Pro-V commercial featuring model Olga Kurylenko, known as a James Bond girl. In addition, shooting began for the Polish and Swedish co-production “The Big Leap” starring Tilly Scott Pedersen (Dagur Kari’s “The Dark Horse”) and Gustaf Skarsgårdem (Peter Weir’s “Way Back”), the current-affairs show “Państwo w Państwie” for Polsat, and the series “Dragons’ Den” for TV4. ATM Studio also serves as a stage for Teatr Nowy, which has no permanent home in Warsaw. “The Big Leap” was the first Polish production shot entirely against greenscreen. In post-production, ATM Group subsidiary ATM FX will create a CGI layer of an entire city that will envelop the actors.
In the coming months of 2012, the Executive Board of ATM Grupa S.A. plans to expand the Group’s offering and further strengthen its local and international position while keeping costs in check. “We are developing a number of new series with more demanding viewers in mind”, says Andrzej Muszyński, CEO of ATM Grupa S.A. “They include offerings for major channels and smaller thematic channels that have recently grown in importance. We hope that our expanding technological offering and the high quality of Wawer studios will draw more producers and organizers of prestigious sports and showbiz events”, he adds.
*All data according to Nielsen Audience Measurement
Additional Information
Established in 1992, ATM Grupa S.A. is Poland’s largest independent television production company. Now best known for its television series, such as “The Ranch”, “Father Matthew”, “First Love”, “Kiepski’s World”, and “The Mall”, which premiered in January 2012, ATM Grupa S.A. is the only company in the industry with its own television studios and equipment providing a full range of TV production services. The company produces programming for broadcasters including Polsat, Polskie Media (TV4) and Telewizja Polska. To find out more, visit atmgrupa.pl and facebook.com/grupaatm
