Czech Television’s sports remained the most watched in 2024 in the universal audience over 15 years old. The sports year and viewer interest in the domestic hockey championship helped the result.
In 2024, Czech Television’s stations achieved the highest TV market share in the universal group over 15 years of age in all-day broadcasting. Their cumulative share exceeded the 30% threshold and reached 30.43% overall. This was half a percentage point more than in the previous year. This is according to official audience measurement data from ATO-Nielsen.
In the prime time 15+ and in the 15-54 and 18-69 audience groups in both day and evening broadcasts, the Nova group was the strongest.
The position of the main commercial groups in the 15+ audience group was balanced throughout the day last year, with the Prima group following by a narrow margin. In the other audience groups, Nova showed a higher share.
In year-on-year comparison, Czech Television channels improved the most last year, mainly due to the growth of the sports channel CT sport. It broadcast the key sporting events of the year (World Cup hockey, Euro, Paris Olympics). The growth of Atmedia also continued, reaching 6.45% in the 18-69 audience group, as did Television Seznam (1.78% in 18-69).
Share of TV groups, 2024, full day
Source: ATO-Nielsen, TV live+TS0-3 as of 1 January 2025, change shown in percentage points. Prime-time = 19:00 – 23:00
Share of TV groups, 2024, prime-time
Source: ATO-Nielsen, TV live+TS0-3 as of 1 January 2025, change shown in percentage points. Prime-time = 19:00 – 23:00
CT Sport’s Fan of the Year
The most watched TV channel remains the main channel TV Nova ahead of the first channel Czech Television and the main channel TV Prima.
In a year-on-year comparison, the sports channel ČT sport increased its share most significantly, becoming the fourth most watched channel in the country in 2024 with 4.57% (15+). This is also the highest annual performance of CT Sport since the channel started broadcasting in 2006.
In addition, Television Seznam, Prima Love, Nova Gold and Nova Action in particular recorded higher shares last year than the year before.
The top five stations with the highest share in 2024 are rounded off by CT2, which achieved its second best result in the last five years.
TOP 20 TV stations by share in 2024 (%)
Source: ATO-Nielsen, TV live+TS0-3 as of 1 January 2025. CS15+, full day
Last year, children’s channel CT 😀 also recorded its best result since it began broadcasting in 2013.
The show of the year was the hockey final
The Hockey World Cup final between Czech Republic and Switzerland was the most watched TV programme of 2024. Including computer and internet viewership, the total viewership of the final rose to 3.74 million viewers (4+). The match not only became the most-watched broadcast on CT Sport in its history, but also the most-watched programme on all TV stations since 2022.
The top programmes of the year have traditionally included the Christmas Eve fairy tale The Three Princesses, other World Cup hockey matches and Christmas stories. The most successful episodes of the dance show StarDance also approached the 2 million viewers mark.
TOP 10 TV shows of 2024
Source: ATO-Nielsen, TV Live+TS0-3 as of 1 January 2025. CS15+
A segment of the online sports fan community mourned Monday as two popular websites known for pirating illegal streams of live sporting events displayed a message—ostensibly from their anonymous owner—that they would be “taking a break from live streaming.”
Visitors to sites called Methstreams and Crackstreams were instead encouraged to join an existing Discord community for further updates. In a sign of the sites’ following, more than 80,000 accounts were part of the Discord group—which has been around at least since 2022—as of Monday afternoon.
Methstreams previously earned attention in November, when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reposted a clip of NFL action that had originated on the site (he’d grabbed the video from another poster, rather than from the now-defunct service).
Two weeks ago, the Methstreams owner told Discord members that one of their domain names had been locked amid the ongoing battle between rightsholders and those circumventing distribution deals. Around the same time, anti-piracy organization The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) announced that it had helped shut down hundreds of websites, many based in Vietnam, that had attracted more than 800 million visits in the past year. A representative for ACE didn’t respond to a request for comment about whether those domains were part of its crackdown.
Media companies pay billions for exclusive rights to broadcast live sports, and advertisers in turn pay billions to reach the fans that are watching. The NFL’s current media deals, for example, are worth more than $125 billion; the NBA‘s most recent round is worth $77 billion. The illicit streams often come via foreign feeds, meaning the broadcasts (and the ads) are frequently not intended for U.S. audiences. In severe cases, that lost revenue could threaten the solvency of sports organizers and the events they put on.
A report from piracy-tracking firm VFT estimated that 17 million people watched the 2024 Super Bowl on illegally distributed streams.
Although Methstreams and Crackstreams have not explained why they have been taken down, a plausible reason is they are accused of copyright infringement of live sports streams and that online service providers (OSPs) have acted in accordance with their legal obligations to order takedowns.
American pro sports leagues are armed with limited tools to combat illegal streaming, which, as the Harvard Business Review recently noted, costs the global sports industry about $28 billion in annual revenue. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is the key federal statute to combat privacy. However, it is from 1998, a time when many people accessed the Internet through dial-up modems and live streaming was not available.
DMCA, leagues have argued, is too slow-moving in that it features a notice and takedown process that is ill-suited for live sports streaming. The gist of the process entails the content creator notifying an OSP (such as YouTube or Facebook) that it is running an illegal stream. The OSP is then obligated to investigate and, if necessary, act, but hours or days can pass before a stream is removed.
With live sports content, action is arguably needed within seconds, or at least minutes, since the value of the content diminishes as time passes. UFC, as well as the NBA and NFL, have urged lawmakers and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to consider measures that would obligate OSPs to act quicker and to engage in more sophisticated verification measures before permitting a user to livestream.
Blocking access to feeds distributed from overseas can be even more difficult, and often requires intervention from the internet service providers hosting or distributing said content.
A recent study in France found that more than half of the viewers for a Ligue 1 match accessed the game via illegal means. Outgoing Professional Football League Media CEO Ben Morel described piracy reaching a “dangerous tipping point” moment for the sport. France’s laws allow rightsholders to demand tech companies engage in measures to prevent serious violations of their broadcasting rights.
When Google was instructed to participate in one such push last summer, it reportedly expressed an intention to comply while pointing out that the effort’s impact would likely be negligible. Worldwide, visits to unlicensed global video sites have risen 12% since 2019 despite attempts to slow their spread, according to anti-piracy analysis platform Muso. Unlicensed sites can profit from signing their own advertising deals or collecting valuable visitor data. Some services have also attempted to charge subscribers for access to private portals.
It remains unclear whether enforcement or another motivation triggered Monday’s announcement, as the Methstreams and Crackstreams owner also teased news of a return.
While many users of the websites publicly saluted the operator for the service they provided, it wasn’t long before commenters pivoted to discussing which remaining site offered the best way to continue watching unlicensed game streams.
The Association of Commercial Television together with ScreenVoice wish you a peaceful holiday season with the ones you love most and a fabulous year 2025.
Nova TV achieved the highest share of viewership in the TV market in November.
The strongest TV group in November was Nova, across all major audience groups in all-day and prime-time. In the universal 15+ group, its aggregate share was 28.60%, 0.30 percentage points higher than Czech Television stations.
Within all-day broadcasting, Nova improved year-on-year in the 15+ and 15-69 groups, while the competing Prima group increased its share very slightly in 15-54. Both Atmedia and Televize Seznam again recorded higher shares than a year earlier.
The Czech Television stations performed better than last November in prime time, helped by the StarDance dance push.
Also in prime time, Atmedia and Television Seznam improved year-on-year.
The new programming scheme of TV Barrandov led to an improvement in the share of the younger audience group 15-54 and very slightly also in 18-69.
Share of TV groups (%), full day, November 2024
Source: ATO-Nielsen, TV live+TS0-3 9.12. 2024, prime-time = 19:00-23:00, change in percentage points
Share of TV groups (%), prime-time, November 2024
Source: ATO-Nielsen, TV live+TS0-3 9.12. 2024, prime-time = 19:00-23:00, change in percentage points
Of the individual stations, CT1 in particular had a higher share in November year-on-year, increasing it by one percentage point. Nova Gold, Televize Seznam, Nova Action, CNN Prima News (surpassing 2% share in 15+) and CT2 also performed better than last November.
The most watched TV show was StarDance (CT1), with all its November episodes (most watched on 9 November with 1.8 million 15+). This was followed by Mysterious Cases (Nova) – the most watched episode was seen by almost 1.4 million viewers – and Criminal Angel (Nova) with almost 1.3 million viewers (also the most watched episode).
FACT, working in collaboration with police forces across the UK, are stepping up efforts to disrupt piracy operations. In a two-week enforcement operation, FACT and police targeted 30 suppliers of illegal IPTV services.
Individuals were visited in person and issued cease-and-desist warnings by post, instructing them to cease illegal activities immediately or face potential criminal prosecution. The coordinated effort focused on disrupting the distribution of illicit firesticks and other illegal streaming operations. Visits were carried out in London, Cheshire, Kent, Sussex, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, the East and West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Northumbria, and North Yorkshire.
As part of the enforcement action, South Wales Police arrested a 42-year-old man from Newport who was suspected of involvement in illegal IPTV operations, including the sale of illicit firesticks. FACT and South Wales Police seized several digital devices, including firesticks, which are now undergoing forensic examination. The suspect remains under investigation and could face criminal charges. Additionally, FACT issued a number of takedown requests to social media platforms and online marketplaces, further disrupting illegal IPTV activity.
“Our cease-and-desist measures are not just warnings—they are the first step toward holding offenders accountable. Many who ignored these notices in the past are now facing arrest and criminal charges,”
said Kieron Sharp, CEO, FACT.
Courts are increasingly imposing severe penalties for illegal streaming operations. Last month, a private prosecution undertaken by the Premier League resulted in Jonathan Edge, a 29-year-old from Liverpool, receiving a three-year and four-month prison sentence for selling and using illicit firesticks. Despite a prior cease-and-desist warning from FACT, which he chose to ignore, Edge continued his activities. His sentence also includes a concurrent two-year and three-month term for personally accessing and viewing the pirated content he distributed.
Authorities have struck a blow at illegal streaming networks, by shutting down one of the world’s largest illegal service. Eurojust and Europol supported the operation, which involved cooperation between Italian, Croatian, Dutch, Romanian, Swedish, Swiss and UK authorities. In a large-scale operation, over 100 searches were carried out against 102 suspects. Eleven suspects are arrested in Croatia.
The suspects illegally distributed material from streaming services online, including films and series. They also pirated more than 2 500 television channels such as sports channels. The illegal service served more than 22 million users worldwide. They were able to make over EUR 250 million in illegal profits per month. The economic damages to the copyright holders of the material is estimated at EUR 10 billion.
To evade authorities, the suspects allegedly used encrypted messaging services to communicate and false identities to register phone numbers, credit cards, server rentals and television subscriptions. On 26 November, during an international operation, the servers hosting the illegal streaming were seized and shut down, disrupting the services.
Collaboration between authorities was set up at Eurojust to take down the streaming service. Coordination meetings at Eurojust’s headquarters allowed authorities from Italy, Croatia, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom to work together on the investigation and plan the operation to shut down the service and arrest the suspects. Europol supported the operation by deploying experts and analysing the available intelligence during the investigation phase.
The cooperation between the authorities culminated in a joint operation to take down the services on 26 November. During searches in Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, Croatia, the United Kingdom and China, over EUR 1.6 million in cryptocurrency and EUR 40 000 in cash was seized. Croatian police arrested 11 suspects.
The authorities involved in the actions were:
Italy: Public Prosecution Office Catania
Croatia: The Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime
Netherlands: Fiscal Information and Investigation Service; Public Prosecution Service Rotterdam
Romania: Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism; Direction for Fighting Organized Crime – Cyber Crime Fighting Service
Sweden: National unit against organized crime at the Swedish Prosecution Authority; Swedish Police Authority
Switzerland: Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland; Federal Office of Police
Technical director of the media group Nova Josef Uher talks in the second part of an interview with MediaGuru.cz about trends in the development of television broadcasting and unfulfilled expectations with Ultra HD.
To remain relevant to their viewers, broadcasters must constantly innovate. Nova has to be doubly vigilant in this area given that it operates pay channels under the Nova Sport banner alongside its free-to-air channels. Is there any other direction you have planned in terms of innovation?
At the moment we have 24 channels, including Markiza, of which six are sports channels. De facto, we can say that there are actually nine sports channels, because we also broadcast three of them in Slovak version. There are different commercials, different graphics and from a technical point of view it is a different playlist. Without automatic delivery we would not be able to function. Next year we plan to deploy asset management on Markiza as well. So it will be a new technology that will be used internally, which probably won’t be seen by viewers, but will be very useful for us.
As far as signal distribution is concerned, do you foresee any change there in the near future? When you have transmission backpacks, are there still classic SNG vans needed?
We still have SNG vans and use them because they still have their uses, whether for long sporting events or for places where there are a lot of people and mobile networks might be unreliable . But to build 14 SNG cars so that we have one in every city, of course we can’t. We can have a backpack in every regional city and we can have a journalist who is in Brussels or anywhere else. We have a dedicated independent internet line to receive SRT streams because, for example, the NHL started this year primarily over SRT, over the public internet, and satellite is just a backup. But of course the content is protected and it’s not like anyone can catch it. ,. And we have a direct data line to the government office and to parliament, for example.
Czech Radiokomunikace had a press conference on 5G Broadcast at the end of October. Is this technology of any interest to you on the production side, or is it really purely a distribution channel and nothing is changing on the production side?
So far, I would say that nothing is changing on the production side, but in the future it could help, for example, when there is just a problem with data connectivity, in terms of signal distribution. So in the context of 5G Broadcast we could use the backhaul channel because it has significantly lower latency than standard streaming.
Isn’t 5G Broadcast a dead end like DVB-H (TV to mobile, ed.) proved to be about fifteen years ago? Does the technology have a future?
It will depend a lot on how handset manufacturers grasp it, whether it becomes widespread or not. It is not about the technology itself, but about what will catch on with people. We have several cases in history where, for example, a slightly inferior technology has taken off and the better one has ended.
In the last two years in particular, we have seen IPTV and Internet TV steadily gaining ground in the broadcast technology market, while satellite is heading in virtually the opposite direction. You are practically everywhere – in terrestrial broadcasting, in satellite, in cable, in Internet and IP TV. In your opinion, is this distribution mix going to change in any way?
IPTV will increasingly enter the whole mix because it brings other services, and probably satellite and maybe a little bit of that terrestrial will fall further. In the Czech Republic, however, terrestrial broadcasting is very popular and will remain so I would expect a decline in this case really only in the order of one percent, nothing significant. Satellite has a huge disadvantage in that you have to have a big dish outside your window or on your balcony, and so the significantly higher added value as before, i.e. a significantly larger number of channels, is no longer there.
There used to be four channels on terrestrial and on satellite you could catch over a hundred and it made a difference. But today the situation is different, so satellite will still decline a bit and will continue to maintain its position primarily in those areas where there is not good terrestrialization and perhaps weaker internet. In those areas it will have its meaning, but in the city it loses its meaning when, for example, in Prague you put an aerial outside your window, or any rod, and you catch 60 channels. But satellite retains its importance as a source of signal reception for small cable operators.
When do you think conventional terrestrial television will make sense?
That’s a good question. I think it will survive to the horizon I see. That is, beyond 2030. I don’t want to speculate what will happen in 2040. When you look back at what we knew in 2015 and we were wondering what we were going to be doing in 2020, of course we didn’t know. The same is the case here. It’s clear that the very youngest grades don’t watch linear TV anymore. The question is what will happen when they have children themselves, if perhaps they do not start. We have a terrestrial licence until 2037, so we trust terrestrial broadcasting. We have plenty of time to watch the trends and see how it continues to develop.
A technology that has been expected a lot in recent years, and in the end has virtually not caught on in linear broadcasting, is the Ultra HD format. Instead, it is headed to online video services like Disney+, Prime Video and others. Why was everyone so excited about this technology a few years back, and in the end those expectations were not met at all? What happened?
Simply a lack of a business model, and I’ll add one more thing to that. The whole transition is very technology intensive. The transition to 4K is not as easy as the transition between SD and HD was. It is not just the 4K format itself, but also HDR (high dynamic range, ed.), for example. So the whole thing is at least ten times more demanding in terms of bitrate, all the capacity, archives and everything. And for 4K to be applied in linear broadcasting, the business model is not there yet. However, technically, we can already handle 4K production and we already archive the shows that are produced in 4K and we will be able to use them when we need to.
When it comes…
I think it will come, it will just be linked to the transition that we are preparing for. Gradually we want to flip production to 1080p, and then of course the road to 4K will be easy, because the transition from 1080p to 4K is similar to the transition from SD to HD , and that’s a thing we’ve already learned.
From my point of view, I can say that I have a 4K OLED TV at home that is 65 inches, and it has such a good conversion from HD to 4K that, even if I’m just watching a YouTube video, for example, I often wonder what format it’s actually in.
The TV manufacturers are a little bit ahead of us. The line would have to have ten times the capacity for Ultra HD. That would be a problem not only in terrestrial broadcasting, but also in IPTV, for example. The processor that the TV has will largely do it for you. And incremental steps are already happening. We’ve already upgraded the playout so we’re able to play 1080p resolution.
So the step you’re currently taking will only be of interest to pay-TV operators, because in terrestrial you’re only in standard definition.</strong
So the business model is set up and it works. And the 1080p format is better for linear broadcasting on the internet.
You mentioned that you already have some higher resolution 4K material available. Are you going to be playing around with HDR or Dolby Vision formats in some way, for example, or is that not an issue for you at all at the moment?
In terms of Dolby Atmos or Dolby Vision, that’s not really defined for broadcast television yet. Internally, we operate in Dolby E format. In the future it might be interesting for Voyo, but certainly not in linear broadcasting. In linear broadcasting, we broadcast above standard especially football, formula and other sports, which we only broadcast in Dolby Digital. You can make a lot out of the Dolby E format, because if you have a show produced in Dolby E, it has the advantage that it can be decoded and re-encoded. Even the football replays that we do, we repeat and broadcast in Dolby Digital.
The Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) is celebrating World Television Day for the eighth time this year. As part of the celebrations, a special promotional spot has been prepared for viewers to air on AKTV member television stations on Thursday, 21 November. Additionally, AKTV has organised an engaging programme at the headquarters of its members, culminating in an entertaining show offering a behind-the-scenes look at television—this year with the subtitle “Hell’s TV”.
World Television Day celebrates not only television itself but also the philosophy it represents. The United Nations General Assembly declared 21 November as World Television Day in 1996, following the first World Television Forum held under the auspices of the UN. This forum discussed the growing importance of television. The goal was to acknowledge its increasing impact on society and culture, its influence on decision-making, and its ability to inform and shape public opinion.
“World Television Day provides us with an annual opportunity to recognise the uniqueness and significance of this medium not only for viewers but also for society as a whole. At any given moment, it can reach millions, delivering information, entertainment, or inspiration. Despite a rapidly changing world, television continues to be at the forefront of attention, thanks to its capacity for immediate impact and engagement,“
says Klára Brachtlová, President of the Association of Commercial Television
The Association of Commercial Television will celebrate this year’s World Television Day with a joint TV spot from the television groups Nova, Prima, and Óčko, featuring highlights of what commercial stations offer. The spot emphasises the significant role of television, which connects people and brings them entertainment and current news in today’s hectic world. It will be broadcast on all member company channels and available on websites and social media.
You can watch this year’s spot here, and all spots from previous years are posted at aktv.cz/svetovy-den-tv.
The celebrations will also include open days at the individual TV stations. As part of the evening programme, an event dedicated to business partners will take place. The entertaining show Hell’s TV, set against the backdrop of the culinary show Hell’s Kitchen, will be concluded with a DJ session provided by Óčko music television.
The aim of the varied programme jointly prepared by AKTV and commercial broadcasters for World Television Day is to raise awareness of the crucial importance of television as a medium and its enduring social and cultural impact.
An excessive number of commercial breaks in television broadcasting is not good for television or TV viewers. CCO Vladimír Pořízek explains that increasing the price of TV advertising is the only way Media Club can counter this situation.
Media Clubwill increase TV advertising prices by an average of 18 to 22% for 2025. The increase reflects both the rise in the base CPP price and the increase in certain seasonal and footage coefficients. However, the portfolio of stations represented by Media Club will stay the same next year. Alongside the Prima group’s stations, which will add two new channels, Media Club will continue to sell advertising for the TV Óčko, TV Barrandov, Atmedia, and Paramount Network groups. The primary buying target group of 18–69-year-olds also remains the same. Secondarily, clients can also use 24defined target groups.
Prima’s CCO, Vladimír Pořízek, explains in an interview that Media Club has no other option than to increase the price. “This autumn, and also in spring, we were forced to extend the length of advertising breaks to meet demand. Unfortunately, the long breaks prevent us from achieving higher ratings. That’s why we have to increase prices and optimise the space for advertising to accommodate as much demand as possible, not putting viewers off at the same time,” he explains.
At the end of August, Prima estimated that it would increase the prices of TV advertising on the stations represented by Media Club by 20%.The increase is ultimately in the range of 18-22%. Is it true again that the higher price increase applies to larger clients?
We are continuing our strategy of the past years and increasing prices more for clients with higher volumes and lower CPT. For smaller clients, the price increase is smaller, which is why we are averaging between 18-22%. The price increase is necessary because our advertising space is sold out all the time, demand is growing and there are fewer GRPs on the market. In the 18-69 target group, it is a 5% decrease, in the 15-54 group, it is a 7-8% decrease.
Increased demand for TV advertising has persisted for several years in a row.What is the cause?If we look at the performance of the economy this year, it is not growing significantly – at 0.3% and 0.4% in the second and third quarters, respectively, household consumption is up just under 2% this year. Is the growing demand driven by the changes in demand for advertising media space brought about by multinational platforms Google and Facebook?
The demand for TV advertising is growing because TV advertising works. Online alone is more likely to attract clients when people know and are aware of the brand. Online does not build a brand. You need TV and long video advertising for brand building. TV is also good at activation, and we have a number of clients who use it for activation campaigns. That’s why clients are going from online back to TV. In addition, it is television in conjunction with online that most easily delivers the desired results to clients.
As for seasonal coefficients, you mainly increase some off-season months such as January, February, June, or August, and leave the peak season months unchanged.Why?
We are changing the seasonal coefficients where we were most sold out this year – which are the months of May, June, and August, and we are adjusting July. On the other hand, we were not sold out in March and April, so we kept the coefficients for these months.
How much is Prima sold out this year?
We are 108% sold out for the autumn, which is not good for TV or the audience. There are more SVOD services on the market, and that brings more opportunities to watch ad-free audiovisual content. Viewers are getting used to it, and long commercial breaks don’t put TV in a good light. We may have shorter breaks than our competitor Nova this year, but this is mainly because Nova’s advertising space has also sold out. The number of GRPs in our buying target group has fallen by 5-6% this year, while the TV market is growing by 5-6%, taking us to a 12% “deficit”. On top of that, we are extending the break by 8%, which we need to settle, getting us to our required 20%.
Does this mean that about 12% of GRPs are not being placed in broadcasting?Or how big is the excessive demand?
The excess is around 8-10% of GRPs. We have been stretching out ad breaks all autumn, which will help us get more GRPs. Even after the rules on commercial break lengths were relaxed, we have continually strived to keep our breaks from extending. But now we are not succeeding.
Even after the rules on commercial break lengths were relaxed, we have continually strived to keep our breaks from extending. But now we are not succeeding.
Vladimír Pořízek
Has the change in legislation contributed to a greater number of advertising spots in prime time? [Editor’s note: Since September 2022, the 20% limit for the 6 am – 6 pm and 6 pm – 0 am time zones has been used instead of the hourly limit.]
Exactly, this legislative change has made it possible. This allows some of the spots or ad minutes to be moved to higher-rated times and the number of GRPs we are able to deliver will increase.
Will a price increase of around 20% bring the necessary balance?
It is always a matter of supply and demand. Agencies are telling us that if we increase prices, clients will go to other media types and Google or Facebook. We know that Google or Facebook don’t build a brand the way TV advertising does. However, some clients may shift some of their budgets, which may have an impact on us, so we need to look for imaginary intersections between demand and supply. We have to increase the price, and to be honest, it would be best for us and for the viewer if the prices were as high as possible. The advertising breaks could be shorter. But it’s always about some kind of agreement with clients and agencies.
Media Club’s commercial policy for TV, 2025
You entered this year with a modified 18-69 purchase target group replacing the 15-69 group.The 18-69 target group will also be the primary trading group at Media Club in 2025. What has the transition to 18-69 revealed?
We are always trying to identify the needs of our customers and at the same time, we see that the productive group is shifting, and the population is aging. If we shifted the start of the buying target group to 20 years old, we would cover what customers want even more. Their target demographic usually starts at the age of 20, sometimes 25 years. Of course, there are clients who demand an 18-35 year old audience, but these are relatively few. However, in addition to our primary target audience, we have 24 sales target groups defined that we are able to affinity-target. With these secondary target groups, we can further improve the affinity of our campaigns. In addition, we anticipate even higher usage of online eGRPs in the coming year. We are increasing their capacity by engaging individual operators in the issue of ad fast-forwarding in time-shifted viewing, and we have also fine-tuned targeting in HbbTv and smart apps with Nielsen.
Has the group of major TV advertisers changed?The e-commerce group seems to be strong, are there any others?
There are no major changes. More and more people in the e-commerce group want to use TV to build a strong brand.
Will the Barrandov TV group be part of the stations represented by Media Club next year?
We have a preliminary agreement with Barrandov TV and we are finalising the wording of the agreement.
You are leaving Prima, and Media Club as well, in the first quarter of next year.Is your successor already known?
The selection process for my successor is still ongoing.
Do you know what your future plans will be after you leave Prima?
I’m definitely planning a long vacation, at least six months to a year. I’ll be bound by a competition clause for a year, so if I want to continue in media, it will be possible in March 2026 at the earliest. But I’m thinking more about the financial sector. After all, I’m more of a man in finance and I would like to move somewhere else and try something new.
Being empathetic towards viewers requires empathy within the company, says Matej Šemšej, HR Director at TV Nova.
Is Nova an attractive employer?
Absolutely. Since the acquisition by PPF Group, we have undergone an intense transformation, which accelerated with Daniel Grunt’s appointment as CEO. The company is developing dynamically and has much to offer not only to candidates for traditional television roles. As I tell every newcomer: Nova has options for everyone.
How are you building your employer brand, and what image should Nova have?
We are currently working on our employer branding strategy. Before starting, we conducted a survey to see how people perceive us as an employer. It revealed a gap between our perception and theirs. So, we started building the strategy around how we want Nova to be seen: as a friendly company with a supportive atmosphere, rooted in open communication and dialogue with employees and viewers alike. This aligns with our overall corporate strategy.
30 years together
What activities aim to change the perception?
This year, we received the international Top Employer certification, which serves as a detailed audit of our internal policies, programmes, and processes. The real start will be a campaign to be launched next year, followed by a series of other activities. We aim to rebrand our career pages, conduct regular surveys among potential candidates to gauge Nova’s attractiveness as an employer and engage with our viewers. However, it’s not just about outward communication, it must align with reality. We don’t want to fall short of the expectations set by both parties at the start of the relationship.
Daniel Grunt has recently emphasised that in times of rapid technological development, it is necessary to go against the tide and invest in top-quality people who create content that differentiates the company. Do you share this view?
This aligns with our strategy of being the most attractive employer with the best team. We often discuss how to attract the best talent. There are two key groups to be attracted: those already in the industry, for whom Nova is a recognised name. Their interest grows with the quantity and quality of our content. We see untapped potential in the positions that people may not widely know we are hiring for. Dan talked about going against the tide but of course, we are developing internal AI competencies. It is uncommon for traditional TV, but today’s times bring such challenges.
Most people associate TV jobs with roles directly tied to broadcasting.
Viewers only see the end product of the entire ecosystem, such as a series on Voyo or the evening news (Televizní noviny). As part of our culture, we emphasise that everyone contributes to a common goal. We have a detailed strategy and frequently remind our people that we are one team and every position matters.
What’s the current state of the job market?
A few years ago, the main challenges were in IT and tech roles, but we have seen some “progress” and now it’s hard to fill almost every position. Companies need to offer more, such as quick recruitment processes. You must be fast and have KPIs in place to contact candidates within two days of application and complete the process in weeks, not months. Candidates need to be impressed and feel they are entering a friendly corporate culture that provides sufficient flexibility, which is now a standard expectation.
And once you have attracted talent?
What matters is what you offer as an employer. People stay for the team, the culture, and meaningful work, not just for benefits. We recognise that linear TV is declining, but Nova, with its comprehensive production capabilities, offers a promising future with a vision.
We are talking on World Television Day. Is this an opportunity to popularise careers in TV?
Absolutely. Many people associate TV work with roles like actors, reporters, editors, cameramen, or makeup artists, but the core of TV is different. The scope of professions is much broader. World Television Day is a chance to showcase behind-the-scenes roles and reveal that we do much more than what is seen on the screen. People will learn that TV is full of ordinary people.
Is there a misconception about that?
Research shows that potential candidates believe Nova is competitive and lacks collaboration. This is why our employer branding strategy emphasises our excellent workplace environment, where colleagues support each other rather than backstabbing each other.
You mentioned a transformation in corporate culture. What does this entail?
The transformation began with Daniel Grunt’s arrival and the creation of a new corporate strategy. For the first time in years, Nova has clear goals, values, and a vision. Many aspects focus on understanding and approaching our viewers. We want to empathise with them, seeking a deep understanding of their needs and life story. And you can only achieve that as a company if you are also internally empathetic and interested in what’s going on in the next office or the floor above. That’s why we are fostering a culture of trust, communication, and collaboration based on values. We have defined four: creativity, passion, respect, and innovation. They are so natural for human existence that we can easily identify with them, but at the same time, they are unique to us. We say that we are creative, that we do what we do with passion, but also with respect for ourselves and our colleagues, and that we are innovative. Transforming a company culture is an abstract concept, but when it is tied to specific actions, a vision, a goal, and daily interpersonal interaction, it is much more tangible to people.
How has this been received by employees?
When developing our corporate strategy of empathy, we partly used employee feedback. With the help of an external partner, we conducted a several-month-long round of internal workshops that involved about two-thirds of the company. Though it was challenging, this process was vital for addressing realities. While the work was going on in the background, we were posting regular news and now in the autumn, we have come up with a more detailed report of what has been done and what is going to happen. It is important to keep showing people how important feedback is and that what you are doing is based on their input, which hasn’t gone to waste. If you involve employees from the start, keep them informed and they see that something is happening, they are more likely to accept the changes.
Last year’s second place of the Nova team in the charity Adraběh
You rely heavily on surveys. How critical is data in HR?
Data is very critical. Most of our decisions are data-based. Internally, we conduct a monthly feedback survey that doesn’t take longer than a minute. It includes a few questions. It’s sort of a hygiene check to find out how the organisation is doing, monitor trends and identify problems. In addition, we use other surveys and tools, as a culture based on open communication and feedback is one of our guiding principles
Does monthly feedback help sustain high motivation?
It works for us. In the companies where I worked before, we did the survey once a year. Then we created slides, communicated them for two months, and defined action steps, and by the time summer came, the measures were often no longer relevant. Even though employees may not like it at first, it’s good to collect feedback all the time because you can immediately translate it into action steps and communicate it all the time. Because communication is the biggest challenge. In my opinion, there’s never enough of it – even though some people will always think otherwise. It’s just about finding and changing different channels of communication.
We started by talking about Nova’s attractiveness. How attractive is Nova to younger talent?
Recruiting talent from students or graduates is one way to address the market situation. But everyone is doing it today and you need to differentiate yourself here too. One of our flagship programmes is the two-year CME Content Academy, which aims to nurture talent in television production. A shorter-term activity is the Nova News Academy, which targets final-year journalism students and offers internships. It is a week-long programme where they go through everything they could possibly be responsible for as presenters or reporters. Successful applicants are given a green card and can start a probationary period after graduation, perhaps leading to employment. We also organise high school internships – this year, dozens of students were here for a week or two. It’s an administrative burden, but we’re building our reputation and sending information about Nova to places you might not expect.
CME Content Academy
How many academy graduates end up working at Nova?
In the Nova News Academy, four out of eleven participants received green cards. The first graduates of the CME Content Academy will finish in December. There are thirteen students in the class, and I think we will be able to place more than half of them either on Nova or on Markíza.
How do you retain academy graduates and other talents in the media industry?
You need to ensure they feel comfortable and their work is meaningful. Media has a unique advantage over other firms, typically IT corporations. It clearly shows people their value added. That is fascinating. We are producing or contributing to the production of something that a million people will put on and say it’s cool. Or that it has impacted their lives. Of course, you also have to ensure that their basic needs are met and constantly monitor whether your wages are competitive.
What are the current HR trends?
I can see five key trends: working with data, digitalisation, flexibility, motivation, recruitment (including finding talent), and diversity (which does not have to include just gender diversity). The upcoming EU regulation will require companies to report data on unequal pay. This can become very challenging for companies.
FTV Prima and Digital Broadcasting have expressed their long-term support for terrestrial TV broadcasting through comments on the Spectrum Management Strategy.
FTV Prima and DVB-T2 multiplex 24 operator, telecommunications firm Digital Broadcasting, have expressed their joint support for the preservation and development of terrestrial television broadcasting in the Czech Republic. They responded by comment form to the draft Radio Spectrum Management Strategy published by the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU), stressing the importance of this platform for access to TV content. For Prima, the DTT platform is crucial, as it operates all its TV programmes on it.
Terrestrial digital television is used by 53% of Czech households on a conventional antenna on at least one receiver, according to surveys argued by Czech Radiocommunications (CRA). Both entities therefore consider it necessary to maintain terrestrial broadcasting in the coming years. The CEO of FTV Prima, Marek Singer, even appeals to the CTU to ensure that the operation of all existing nationwide networks will be possible at least until 2050 to ensure the long-term stability of the competitive environment.
Prima wants two new stations thanks to reserved capacity
There is a logical explanation for the perhaps surprisingly long period for which FTV Prima wants to maintain terrestrial broadcasting. Prima not only operates all of its full-screen channels in the DVB-T2 multiplex of Czech Radio Communications, but it is also planning two additional stations – one of them is known as Prima Case. FTV Prima has reserved data capacity in this television network, which it can use according to its needs. In the past in DVB-T2, therefore, it started broadcasting its programmes in 1440 x 1080p resolution.
Pressure from pay-TV operators later forced Prima to switch these programmes to the basic 960x540p format, leaving only CNN Prima News in HD resolution with a 1280 x 720p ratio. The argument was better readability of the accompanying graphics for the news channel. Unlike Nova, Prima does not operate any pay channel; instead, the latter has six. These are the premium stations Nova Sport. It is worth noting, however, that it is Nova that has spread the broadcasting of its programmes over two multiplexes, with CRA entrusting Nova Cinema in addition to its flagship channel.
CRA has channels available for non-launched networks
Also playing in favour of terrestrial TV broadcasting and its future may be the so-far unused frequencies for the planned DVB-T2 multiplexes 25 and 26, which were never actually launched. According to Martin Roztočil, director of external relations at Digital Broadcasting, which operates DVB-T2 network 24, multiplexes 25 and 26 represent one of the possible safeguards for the future of terrestrial TV. Roztočil, like Singer, points to the long-term stability of the terrestrial platform’s position as a traditional and popular choice for many Czech households, thanks to the possibility of watching TV programmes free of charge.
Digital Broadcasting is also proposing to use the frequencies of multiplexes 25 and 26 to test innovative technologies such as 5G Broadcasting, which has so far been pushed exclusively by rival CRAs. This technology offers the potential for future use in terrestrial broadcasting, allowing for experimental verification of operations and preparing for the challenges associated with technical innovation. The available frequencies could also be used for regional broadcasting or for one-way transmitters, referred to as SDLs. This flexible approach would allow alternative technologies to be experimentally tested without interfering with existing services, which may help to improve the availability of television broadcasting in remote areas or in the transition to new standards.
Long-time PDTV chief also warns of free frequencies
On the basis of the published draft of the “Radio Spectrum Management Strategy” and the opportunity to submit your opinion, expert consultant Petr Formánek suggests several changes to the text. Formánek worked for years at PDTV, which operates Prague’s Regional Network 4. After it was taken over by the CRA, he has gone freelance. Formánek said it was essential to consider that a time-limited individual licence to use frequencies in so-called “white spaces” could lead to a negative public reaction if service was interrupted after expiry.
Formanek also recommends the use of the frequencies of networks 25 and 26, like Roztočil, primarily for experimental validation of new technologies such as 5G Broadcast and DVB-I, in order to allow these frequencies and standards to coexist on the same radio frequency channel. He also proposes that the phrase “The UHF band is technically and economically optimal for ensuring coverage of the territory by mobile services” be amended to reflect the use of the UHF band for DTT (terrestrial TV), which would support the maintenance of a competitive environment and the development of the industry.
Czech users of news content do not trust artificial intelligence in news. They fear it makes it impossible to distinguish fiction from reality, according to a new study by ResSolution Group and Nielsen.
Only 10% of the Czech online population agree with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in news, across all media types. The highest level of agreement (15%) is for news websites and 12% agree with the use of podcasts. That’s according to a new non-public study by research agencies ReSSolution Group and Nielsen titled Newsroom in the Age of Media Fragmentation, which was presented by Tereza Šimečková and Tomáš Hynčica at the Czech Internet Forum 2024 conference last week.
The research, which involved 1,012 members of the online population over the age of 15, also found that 80% are familiar with the term “artificial intelligence”. Half of Czech news content recipients, specifically 51%, but do not trust news content that uses AI, and 53% expressed disapproval of the use of AI in TV news. This is because the majority of news consumers fear that AI will make it impossible for them to distinguish fiction from reality. Three quarters of users expressed this view.
On the other hand, users rank faster news delivery and easier consumption of foreign news among the positives of using AI. At the same time, they acknowledge that AI is a useful tool for simplifying the creation and consumption of news.