ProSiebenSat.1 and Discovery hire Alexandar Vassilev to lead joint 7TV streaming service

ProSiebenSat.1 and Discovery hire Alexandar Vassilev to lead joint 7TV streaming service

Munich/London, February 02, 2018 - ProSiebenSat.1 and Discovery Communications today announced the appointment of Alexandar Vassilev as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of 7TV, its joint premium direct-to-consumer entertainment streaming service in Germany.

Vassilev, joins from Google and starts with immediate effect. He is responsible for the strategic growth and development of this ambitious new consumer digital service in the German market which launched six months ago. He reports to the Board of the joint venture. Christian Dankl, former Interim-CEO of 7TV and CEO AdVoD at ProSiebenSat.1, is appointed as a Board Member of 7TV.

7TV is major new content offering in the German market that defines a new way for media companies and advertisers to reach fans across all screens. Brands available on the 7TV app and digital platforms are; ProSieben, SAT.1, kabel eins, DMAX, sixx, ProSieben MAXX, SAT.1 Gold, kabel eins Doku and TLC. 7TV also includes a Eurosport Zone featuring sports highlights and clips.

As part of the ambitious expansion of 7TV, the service will be airing live via Eurosport 1, the FC K ln against Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga game on February 2nd 2018. Eurosport owns the exclusive rights to the game and it will be shown free and ad-supported on the 7TV platform.

7TV viewers will also have access to the Olympic Winter Games coverage through TLC, which will be showing some of the biggest events including figure skating, short track speed skating and snowboarding on air.

Christof Wahl, Member of the Executive Board, Digital, and COO ProSiebenSat.1 Group: This is a great appointment for 7TV. Alexandar Vassilev has spent his whole career working at the heart of the digital revolution. His knowledge of building strong consumer centric digital products will help us grow 7TV and position it strongly for the future.

Michael Lang, President, DNI Digital & Eurosport Digital & CEO of MotorTrend, said: Our ambition to build a world class platform is underscored with the hiring of Alex Vassilev and his digital pedigree in building world-class products, which will drive an aggressive consumer-first blueprint for our OTT business. When we launched a global search to fill the CEO role, we knew as soon as we met Alex that he had the skill-set and entrepreneurial spirit to maximise the JV's potential. His decision to join and leave Google, also shows how much he believes in the potential.

Vassilev spent the last decade working for Google in the United States. In his most recent role, he was Product Manager for Google Search, the company s largest and most profitable product, responsible for enhancing the user experience and launching next generation features. Prior to this role, he had product management roles in such important areas as YouTube, DoubleClick and Google Core Infrastructure & Operations. Vassilev earned his MBA from Harvard Business School, and during his studies, he launched an online commerce software company to build web solutions for businesses in his home country Bulgaria. Vassilev attended Missouri Southern State University in the US, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, with a joint degree in Computer Information Science and Computational Mathematics.

Alexandar Vassilev, said: I'm excited to lead the growth and evolution of our mobile and OTT video streaming service in Germany. By bringing together two major media brands, strong content and all the potential of this new service, my ambition is to build an unrivalled direct-to-consumer brand.

SevenOne Media, media sales house of ProSiebenSat.1, handles its digital advertising inventory.

About ProSiebenSat.1:

ProSiebenSat.1 Group is one of the most successful independent media companies in Europe with a strong lead in the TV and the digital market. Advertising-financed free TV is the Group's core business. The station family comprising SAT.1, ProSieben, kabel eins, sixx, SAT.1 Gold, ProSieben MAXX, and kabel eins Doku is the Number 1 in the German audience and TV advertising markets. The Group has tapped into an additional attractive business area through the distribution of its television channels in HD quality. At the same time, the Group successfully connects the wide reach of its TV business with a strong digital unit. Already today, ProSiebenSat.1 is Germany's leading video marketer on the Internet and with maxdome or Studio71 one of the most successful providers of digital entertainment. ProSiebenSat.1 has also built up a successful e-commerce business of digital platforms in recent years that is now one of the Group's most important growth drivers. This broadcasting, digital entertainment and commerce portfolio is supplemented by the international program production and distribution company Red Arrow Studios. ProSiebenSat.1 is headquartered in Unterf hring near Munich. The Company was founded in October 2000 and today employs around 6,500 people. The ProSiebenSat.1 share has been listed in the German equity index DAX since March 2016.

About Discovery Communications:

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) satisfies curiosity and captivates superfans around the globe with a portfolio of premium nonfiction, lifestyle, sports and kids content brands including Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. Available in more than 220 countries and territories, Discoverys programming reaches 3 billion cumulative viewers, who together consume 54 billion hours of Discovery content each year. Discoverys offering extends beyond traditional TV

LINK:	http://en.prosiebensat1.com/en/press/prosiebensat-1-and-discovery-hire...
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