How do you assess the development and current position of the prima+ platform after more than two years of operation? Has it met your expectations?
I think we are at a kind of imaginary halfway point. We already know what works and what doesn’t. The current priority is to scale production appropriately and to build what we call a “retention supply”—ensuring there are enough compelling titles in each genre to give viewers a reason to stay. For reality shows, we are already gearing up for another season of The Traitors, and we will be adding a fun new reality series to the spring season. Honza Maxa is now starting a “series supply”—the production of dramatic content that will regularly feed the streaming service.
What works and what doesn’t on prima+?
It turns out that the Czech audience is divided. One part of the audience has progressive, cosmopolitan tastes, prefers VOD platforms and seeks content without ads. The other part is more conservative, watches mainly linear broadcasts, likes familiar faces and established formats. We try to offer both groups what they expect—in different channels and different ways. Reality shows work well on VOD, but they may not include just the ones produced abroad. Viewers want original content that has an identity. The Traitors, a reality show with detective game show elements, is one example.
Genre experiments such as true crime or miniseries inspired by true events have proven successful in the fiction sector. At the same time, we have found that audiences are ready for more challenging topics if they are presented with high-quality execution. And this applies to both documentaries and dramatic works. But not everything works right away. Some projects have underperformed. For example, Starhouse this spring did not repeat the success of last year’s Traitors.
You recently announced a collaboration with Scandinavian streaming service Viaplay. Was this an initiative on your part or were you approached?
It was an active choice on our part. We are looking for quality international content to complement our offering. Viaplay offers Scandinavian production that is different in genre and style from what we normally see in the Czech Republic. And we know that this style resonates strongly with a certain type of audience. This is a major difference from, for example, Disney+, where many titles run in parallel elsewhere. We have an exclusive partnership with Viaplay that includes more than 200 hours of content annually. It’s a multi-year deal with an option that allows us to include some shows in the linear broadcast, not just on prima+.
Viaplay will offer something for an audience that likes Scandinavian production, while complementing our Czech portfolio. The first titles will start appearing in the summer. We are dubbing them now. We have secured the best Nordic true crime films such as Fenris, Furia, Rebus, Crime Scene Sweden, and A Murderer Goes Missing. We are sure that this selection will delight our TV viewers and users.
Is it somehow related to the fact that Prima had Scandinavian owners in the past?
Indirectly. Of course, past contacts help - when you know people, it’s easier to get along. But it wasn’t a decisive aspect.
Viaplay is less than 30 per cent owned by the Czech investment group PPF, which also runs your direct competitor, Oneplay, in the Czech Republic. Is this just a funny coincidence?
Yes, it is a funny coincidence. But PPF did not interfere in any way in those negotiations.
One of Viaplay’s other shareholders is Canal+, which is now active in the Czech Republic. Do you plan to work more closely with it?
Yes, we already represent it commercially and sell advertising on its behalf. We believe that the cooperation will continue to deepen. I think they are still looking for the ideal model for the Czech market and the Czech audience. You can see it in the way they are testing dramatic formats.
prima+ offers two versions: a paid, ad-free option and a free, ad-supported one. How has this model performed so far?
The model has proven successful. We have approximately 21 per cent paying users. In total, we have over 1.4 million registered users. But we are still not at the point where we have “exploited” everything. We haven’t yet covered all audience segments with regular content, which is a prerequisite for subscribers to come back and stay.
Is it possible to build an interesting business on the advertising model?
It’s getting more interesting. For one thing, the reach of prima+ is increasing, but at the same time, the opportunities for targeting advertising are improving as part of partnerships with operators. IPTV is growing fast, and this opens new opportunities. So far, TV advertising and online advertising are not that different in terms of advertisers, but the online version allows us more targeting and personalisation. In the future, we expect more diversification and separate advertising strategies for each environment.
Which operators are key for you?
Primarily Vodafone. We have a joint product with them, and we are also preparing a deeper cooperation for the autumn season. For example, within The Traitors, we plan to create a dedicated ‘channel’ on their platform in the zero position. The other major partner is, ironically, Oneplay, where cooperation was initially difficult, but we ultimately found a commercially attractive model. A new partner is SledovaniTV, with whom we are testing new forms of targeted advertising and integration of our content.
Are advertisers’ requirements changing?
Not as significantly as we would expect, but it is starting to happen. The online environment allows for more variability and immediate feedback. We will see what the next few years bring. For example, we are trying new types of advertising formats with some advertisers, such as “theme block” style sponsorships or interactive elements that link the show to the brand.
Is there a trend in the development of the two versions of prima+?
The free version more closely follows the evolution of TV ratings. It is stable, less prone to short-term fluctuations. The paid version is more sensitive to specific titles. Once you have strong content—like last year’s Traitors—you can get thousands of new subscribers in a few days. Conversely, when supply is stagnant, churn can be very rapid. That’s why we are working on retention tools: genre collections, series sequels, community features, podcasts or making-of.
Like Oneplay, you also buy content from Czech Television’s iVysílání. How big is this segment for you?
It is definitely a good addition to our offering. If we want to be one of the two biggest video content providers in the Czech Republic, we have to include public service content. I wouldn’t say it’s core for us, but it certainly has its quality. In total, we offer almost 20 popular shows and almost 200 episodes from Czech Television.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
We follow the RTL+ model in Germany. They have a great combination of a strong linear brand and a digital platform that can offer relevant content to different audience segments. In America, we follow Hulu and Paramount+ with their Pluto TV model, which tests different types of advertising variants. We have also taken inspiration from France, where a ‘catch-up hybrid’ model works, combining archive and premiere content with advertising and paid versions.
Where do you think CNN Prima News has moved in its four years of operation?
We started as a TV channel. Today, we are a digital brand. This year, we launched a new newsroom where we combine the work of the TV, online team and social media. We create content in a modular way—each medium gets its version of the news. For example, a report from the field will be edited for TV and, at the same time, an article for the web, a short video for Instagram and a clip for TikTok will be created. And sometimes we make a podcast or a longer investigative format.
Source: E15 Michael TomešHow do you want to differentiate yourself from Czech Television in the election broadcasts that are soon to come before the autumn parliamentary elections?
We are already starting with a series of debates in June and plan a continuous campaign until October. The first big pre-election debate in the Czech Republic, aptly titled 100 Days to the Election, will take place on Thursday, 19 June. We are now working on a weekly basis with STEM, which supplies us with data on voters’ priorities. We will confront politicians with what voters demonstrably want, not what politicians say they want. We are also preparing several format innovations. We want the debates to be not just a TV ritual but a tool for voters’ navigation.
Is CNN Prima News economically self-sufficient?
Just barely, yes. But we are doing it primarily because of the broad reach of the news. CNN Prima News is part of a media ecosystem that has synergies with the group’s other activities. Economically, it’s hard to separate, but in terms of brand and reach, it makes sense.
What is the future of linear TV and its audience profile?
Linear broadcasting will gradually age with the audience. But it’s not just about age—regions or value settings also play a role. It turns out that young viewers are not lost to linear TV, they just aren’t watching it every day like their parents. If the content appeals to them, like The Traitors, they will come. But otherwise, we have to follow them where they are.
Are you working more with fragmentation of attention and the role of media personalities?
Everyone is learning how to work with influencers these days. We have a small advantage in that some actors or performers act as “unpaid influencers”. They are active in social media and create a secondary campaign. We want to do better and more with this, although it is a challenging discipline. But technology will start to help us do that.
Are you incorporating artificial intelligence into the process?
New technologies, including AI, are already helping us in video production. We have seen what our people can do overnight with new software. The quality is already good enough to go on air. It’s not just about distribution, it’s about transforming production processes.
How has AI specifically transformed content selection and production?
All routine operations—whether in post-production or pick-ups—can be made faster, more cost-effective, or enhanced through the use of AI—or all three at once. It can be used in automated subtitling, transcription, translation, and editing. We are also testing synthetic voices and AI visualisations for some news formats. It depends on how creative you get. It will definitely start with shorter formats, but over time, it will transform the whole thing. We are also trying AI in predicting viewership or analysing what viewers enjoy.
Which Prima thematic stations are growing the most?
Prima Krimi has strong long-term growth. People like the crime genre, and when they get it in a clear package, it works. Prima Star also has good development, benefiting from nostalgia and well-targeted content. For the main channel, last season was excellent, and now we are gearing up for the autumn news.
Source: E15 Michael TomešIs there going to be any consolidation of the TV market? There is talk of a possible sale of TV Barrandov. Would you be interested?
Maybe. If Barrandov were to be sold, and the price were realistic.
There is also a convergence between Karel Pražák as the owner of Mafra and Marek Dospiva, who controls the media house Vltava Labe Media. It is possible that after a prospective merger, they may have to sell some of their media due to the antimonopoly authority. Will you be interested, for example, in the radio station Impuls?
We do not comment on our business activities in the long term.
Are negotiations underway?
As I said, we do not comment on our business activities. In general, the Czech market can’t be expanded endlessly. When supply meets demand, consolidation is a logical step.
What were Prima’s economic results last year?
Last year, we consolidated the sales of all fourteen companies in the group for the first time. They reached almost seven billion crowns. Profit at the EBITDA level amounted to CZK 1.712 billion. This is a significant shift from the days when we had a turnover of 3.5 billion and a profit of 150 million. Growth was driven by digitalisation, the development of prima+, the development of advertising models and more efficient operations.
Source: e15.cz