Diversity & Inclusion

We regard the differences and diversity of our employees as an important requirement for our Company’s success. Against this backdrop, ProSiebenSat.1 Group signed the Diversity Charter in 2014 and follows the guidelines specified in it. Our internal guidelines also stipulate that employees at all hierarchy levels should be hired exclusively according to objective criteria and promoted solely on the basis of their abilities. We pursue the goal of promoting diversity within our workforce and champion equal rights and equal opportunities in accordance with the guiding principle for the action area of diversity. The “Diversity & Inclusion” department, which was created in April 2022 as part of HR, is responsible for the further development of diversity management, the targeted focus, and the operational implementation of associated measures. We wish to illustrate our commitment to diversity and inclusion with the “Diversity Principles”, which have been published throughout the Group. They form the foundation for our activities to promote tolerance and diversity – in our Company and in society. We see this as a task for all our employees and our managers.

This action also includes the further development of our inclusion efforts. In 2021, the Group management and the works council concluded an inclusivity agreement with the representative body for disabled employees. On May 1, 2022, an Inclusion Officer was appointed. In addition, ProSiebenSat.1 Group is also cooperating for the second year in a row with myAbility, a talent program that supports students and university graduates with disabilities and chronic illnesses in German-speaking countries by providing them with career coaching and opportunities for networking and job shadowing. As part of the talent program, myAbility carried out “sensitivity training for job shadowing providers” in July 2022. The participants were particularly made aware of how to handle various forms of disability. On December 3, 2022, the International Day of People with Disabilities, we again took part in the global #PurpleLightUp campaign. The campaign is supported in the German-speaking region by myAbility as an official partner of PurpleSpace Ltd. (“PurpleSpace”) and is intended to draw attention to the necessity of economic autonomy for people with disabilities. Employees’ awareness of issues of inclusion, accessibility and ableism was raised with a presentation by the “Sozialheld*innen,” a charity campaigning for social justice via project work.

The diversity of our Company is aided by the best possible balance of men and women and a diversity of genders in the workforce and in management positions. As of December 31, 2022, 50.1% (previous year: 48.9%) of employees in the Group were female and 49.9% (previous year: 51.1%) were male. The percentage of employees who have chosen the sex marker “diverse” is about 0.0% due to the low number. The proportion of female managers increased slightly from 35.0% to 35.8%. When it comes to filling management positions in the Group, men and women should be hired purely on the basis of professional and personal aptitude. We have therefore integrated “gender equality” into ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s sustainability strategy as a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) that is particularly relevant to us. The internal and external communication of this goal sends a clear signal to both potential managers and to decision-makers at all management levels during selection processes.

An open-minded working climate with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity is a key criterion for us to be perceived as a modern employer. That is why we specifically support initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusivity. An example of this is the LGBT+ network (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) PROUD@ProSiebenSat.1, which has been set up by employees and aims to make diversity more visible within the Group. In 2022, the network took part in Christopher Street Day in Munich for the first time with its own float. Our goal is to create an inclusive working environment in which all individuals are shown the same appreciation. That includes the use of equal language. For that reason, we made a recommendation to our employees in 2021 that they should use gender-sensitive language. This is presented during the welcome days for the onboarding of new employees. 

Since the beginning of the year, our Executive Board member Christine Scheffler has been on the Advisory Board of the “BeyondGenderAgenda” initiative. BeyondGenderAgenda supports the further strengthening of diversity and inclusive working environments in the culture of listed and medium-sized companies. ProSiebenSat.1 Group wants to set an example for diversity with the reach of its entertainment offerings. Examples from the 2022 reporting period are the ProSieben programs on International Women’s Day, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and PRIDE Day. On the initiative of the state media authorities of Bremen, the media companies ARD, ZDF, Deutsche Welle, Deutschlandradio, RTL Deutschland and ProSiebenSat.1 came together and founded the new alliance “Medien für Vielfalt” (Media for Diversity) in 2021. The alliance represents a clear commitment to diversity in the media sector. At a event organized by the Alliance “Medien für Vielfalt” in April 2022, experts discussed various aspects of diversity and inclusion. The central question was how media can and must campaign against racism and for the communication and promotion of tolerance, respect, and diversity. 

ProSiebenSat.1 Group is committed to barrier-free access to its offerings. We offer subtitled programming areas and audio descriptions for blind and visually impaired people on our channels, among other things, in order to improve the dissemination of information. Back in 2000, ProSieben already introduced the first regular subtitle service for the deaf on German private television. The Group broadcasts accessible offerings on nearly all its free TV stations and continually drives their expansion. In 2022, the range of programs with subtitles was expanded, and in particular the number of formats with additional audio description was increased. Specific examples include ProSieben shows such as “The Masked Singer” and “Joko & Klaas gegen ProSieben” (Beat the Channel) and feature films on ProSieben as well as soccer broadcasts on SAT.1. In addition, sign language was used in some reports in the “ProSieben THEMA” series as well as in shows such as “Kannste Regieren? Baerbock, Scholz & Lauterbach zurück in der Schule” (Do you know how to govern? Baerbock, Scholz & Lauterbach back at school). For the first time, subtitles in simple language were also offered for the “JENKE. Das Klima-Experiment: Sind wir noch zu retten?” (JENKE. The Climate Experiment: Can we still be saved?) and “ProSieben THEMA. Waffen für den Frieden? Deutschland rüstet auf.” (ProSieben THEMA. Weapons for peace? Germany is arming itself.) reports. For the future, we aim to further expand our barrier-free offerings. 

Moreover, the German Interstate Media Treaty requires broadcasters of nationwide programs and video-on-demand providers to expand their range of accessible content within the limits of their technical and financial capabilities. From 2023, the German Interstate Media Treaty requires broadcasters to draw up concrete action plans for this. Individual states and the German government have already published action plans to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which also aim to include more accessible formats on television. The state media authorities regularly monitor this expansion. Subtitles are currently included in the programming on five German ProSiebenSat.1 stations: ProSieben, SAT.1, Kabel Eins, sixx, and ProSieben MAXX. On average in 2022, subtitled minutes as a percentage of linear programming as a whole (24 hours) amounted to 48.2% on ProSieben, 27.5% on SAT.1, 44.7% on Kabel Eins, 32.7% on sixx and 12.7% on ProSieben MAXX.