Message from the Chief Executive Officer

In 2018, the advertising market and consumer trends continued to transform and evolve, a phenomenon we had already been in previous years. These new challenges have forced us to think long and hard about how well we match up and on how to face the task ahead in a way that is both positive and beneficial for our Company. Relying on its unquestionable strengths when it comes to the quality, diversity and sheer appeal of the formats it broadcasts and distributes and on the corporate values it adheres to when going about its business, Atresmedia has fine-tuned its strategic objectives in a bid to seek out innovative formulas that respond to the new demands of audiences and advertisers alike and to help us remain the leading media group within the new-look sector that is now emerging.

In this complex and changing environment, we must make our objectives transversal across the entire company, while sharing a common purpose and working in the same direction to make us stronger as a group. The recently approved 2019-2023 corporate strategy, the implementation of the Corporate Responsibility Master Plan and the discovery of our true purpose make up a framework in which we all have an important role to play and by all ofus I mean the 2,127 professionals who make up Atresmedia and who bring their talent involvement and diversity of skills to bear every day, along with all our external stakeholders and, naturally, the wider market. Atresmedia evolves, adapts, anticipates and is ready to lead a globalised environment, in which distribution platforms must converge to increase the life cycle of our products. In this environment, the new digital reality that the Group has embraced ultimately enhances the experience of our audiences and makes our clients’ advertising more effective.

Atresmedia has fine-tuned its strategic objectives in a bid to seek out innovative formulas that respond to the new demands of audiences and advertisers alike and to help us remain the leading media group within the new-look sector that is now emerging.

We made considerable progress in this direction during the year and this was definitely the right path to take because thanks to our management model we ended 2018 with net revenue of 1,042.3 million euros, EBITDA of 187.1 million, consolidated profit of 88.2 million and adjusted net profit of 125.7 million. We lead the conventional media sector with a market share of over 18%. The work of our advertising sales company Atresmedia Publicidad has been key to obtaining these figures. It is now the leading sales company in the Spanish market across all media and boasts the most sought-after range of multimedia solutions among advertisers.

Our commitment to this model has also made us audience leaders with a 26.8% share, making us the fastest growing television group in 2018. We are also the media group with the best results when it comes to audience opinion studies, which take account of variables such as the quality, variety and appeal of our programming, along with proximity and plurality of content. Meanwhile, our radio station Onda Cero continues to be seen by listeners as the most pluralistic, down-to-earth and credible radio station out there. These achievements are only possible thanks to the Group’s constant innovation in formats and products and its complete willingness and ability to adapt to the changing consumer habits of our audiences. The answer to the globalisation of television consumption lies in our strategy of expanding our four international channels, which has now brought us to over 55 million subscribers and made us the European operator with the biggest number of channels and subscribers outside its own national borders.

Our commitment to ensuring the maximum rigour and quality of our news coverage despite rising levels of disinformation within the wider industry, together with our use of cutting-edge technology and the decision to make augmented reality part of our sets, is what makes us different and made us the most watched news broadcaster of the year: 1.9 million people tuned in each day to watch Antena 3 Noticias, accounting for 14.4% of the total public. Our extensive special news coverage aired on laSexta to analyse the major social, political and economic events of the year has kept us at the forefront of the news and current affairs segment. The channel is now the top choice for most viewers who want to know more about the numerous public talking points to have unfolded during the year.

The new digital reality that the Group has embraced ultimately enhaces the experience of our audiences and makes our clients’ advertising more effective.

Entertainment and fiction at this group means quality, exhaustive care and attention during the creative process, talent and ultimately national and international success. Our efforts over the years to position ourselves not only as a distributor of formats, but also as a natural born creator of content, have more than paid off after obtaining global recognition for our Atresmedia Series brand and for winning an International Emmy Award for Best Drama for La casa de papel (Money Heist). Meanwhile, Atresmedia Studios enjoyed great success during its first year of life as a content generator for other operators, with productions such as El embarcadero for Movistar+ and Pequeñas coincidencias for Amazon Prime Video. Audiences continue to pick our entertainment programs over others and because of this trust we have cemented our prime time leadership through El hormiguero for yet another year.

Achieving these milestones time and time again requires a fine balance between the profitability all companies need and ensuring that we remain responsible. We are not doing our job right if we fail to observe the demands of our stakeholders and if we fail to raise awareness of what we consider to be worthy social causes that demand our full attention and action. Atresmedia brings all its resources to bear so as to ensure that it acts as a responsible media group, both internally and externally.

Internally, we devote all our efforts to improving, raising and guaranteeing the quality of our broadcasts and to ensuring ethical, truthful and impartial information, while making all our content accessible and protecting the most vulnerable audiences, especially children. We know that sound management of the internal talent we have is key to our success. So we build a motivating work environment through continuous training of our employees and through projects that increase the pride we all feel in belonging to an organisation such as ours.

From an external viewpoint, we must ensure that the most pressing social causes receive the attention and space they deserve in order to stimulate debate and raise the awareness needed to bring about real change that improves our society. Compromiso Atresmedia has been our chosen vehicle for 10 years now and we are proud to have witnessed the many achievements of Ponle Freno in relation to road safety; Tolerancia Cero in the fight against gender violence; Constantes y Vitales in biomedical research; Objetivo Bienestar in promoting healthy habits; Crea Cultura in defending intellectual property; the initiatives of HazteEco in raising environmental awareness; and all the realms and topics covered by Fundación Atresmedia on matters relating to childhood and education. Aside from these areas, we are seeking to raise awareness of the responsible use of new technologies with the launch of Levanta la Cabeza in 2018.

Achieving all these milestones time and time again requires a fine balance between the profitability all companies need and ensuring that we remain responsible. We are not doing our job right if we fail to observe the demands of our stakeholders and if we fail to raise awareness of what we consider to be worthy social causes that demand our full attention and action.

Let me wrap up this address by simply inviting you to read this report, in which we have reflected on our business model, our priorities, our vision for the future and the progress made over the past year.

We will rely on all our know-how and confidence to continue leading the way in overcoming the challenges facing the sector in 2019, which is already upon us.