CTS Eventim Grows Significantly Thanks To Record Quarter For Ticketing

– CTS Eventim
CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg

CTS Eventim published its preliminary figures Tuesday for the financial year 2018, which show significant increases in revenue and earnings, in part thanks to a record fourth quarter for the group’s ticketing segment and a solid performance by its promotions arm.

Group revenue increased by 20.1 percent year-on-year to €1.2 billion, compared to €1.03 billion in the previous year. Normalized EBITDA grew by 12.9 percent from €204.7 million to €231.1 million. “The Ticketing and Live Entertainment segments both contributed to this significant growth,” according to the earnings report. 

The normalized EBITDA margin decreased from 19.8 percent at the end of last year to 18.6 percent.

In the ticketing segment, revenue rose organically by 6.9 percent to €447.1 million, while normalized EBITDA increased by 9.6 percent to €195.8 million. Among other things, this positive development was impacted by expenses incurred in connection with the introduction of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The EBITDA margin in the ticketing segment increased to 43.8 percent, compared to 42.7 percent in the previous year. CTS Eventim recorded an online ticket volume of 54.3 million. The group states that it “sold more than 50 million tickets via its own web shops for the first time ever in a single calendar year – a 10.9 percent increase over 2017,” adding that “a good 20 million of this was accounted for by the fourth quarter alone, during which the ticketing segment set further historical records with its highest quarterly revenue (€170.5 million) and normalised EBITDA (€93.7 million).”

In the live entertainment segment, CTS Eventim recorded a revenue increase of 29.7 percent, from €626.7 million to €812.5 million. Besides acquisitions in Italy and Spain, various promoters from CTS Eventim’s existing portfolio contributed to this increase, with a higher number of especially well-attended and high-revenue tours compared to the previous year.

Organic revenue growth in the segment was in the double-digit percentage range. Since normalised EBITDA rose disproportionately by 35.4 percent to EUR 35.3 million (previous year: €26.1 million), the normalised EBITDA margin increased to 4.4 percent (previous year: 4.2 percent).

“Our financials show that we are able to further develop CTS Eventim from a position of strength,” commented CTS Eventim CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg. “In Ticketing, we increased our growth momentum over the course of the year, and in Live Entertainment, we consolidated our leading role in Europe with well-attended tours and further acquisitions. By winning the contract for collecting the passenger vehicle toll in Germany, we also demonstrated that we can successfully transfer our existing competencies into new business areas.”

In 2019, CTS Eventim expects further growth in group revenue and normalized EBITDA. Further details on the outlook and the 2018 business performance will be published in the company’s Annual Report, which will be available online at www.eventim.de, in German and English, beginning March 20.