Nine Entertainment half yearly revenue is $1.3b

Nine Entertainment has released its results for the 6 months to December 2021, recording  revenue of $1.3b and a Net Profit After Tax of $213m, which included a post-tax Specific Item  expense of $12m.

Group EBITDA, before Specific items, of $406m equated to growth of 15%, ahead of the ~10% guidance given at the AGM in November.

Table 1: Group Results1
6 months to December

 

$m

 

H1 FY22

 

H1 FY21

Variance
 

$m

 

%

Revenue 1,332.9 1,154.3 +178.6 +15%
Group EBITDA 406.3 354.3 +52.0 +15%
Net Profit after Tax 225.2 187.4 +37.8 +20%
Net Profit after Tax and Minorities 212.9 178.0 +34.9 +20%
Fully diluted Earnings per Share (cents) 12.5 10.4 +2.1c +20%
Dividends per share (cents) 7.0 5.0 +2.0c +40%

1 Pre Specific Items

Radio revenue is reported as part of the company’s Broadcast division. Radio revenue was $48.9 million, up 11% from $44 million in the previous corresponding period. Radio made a profit (EBITDA) of $6.4 million, well up from the previous period, which was $2.9m.

CEO, Mike Sneesby (pictured), says, “We are really pleased with how Nine closed calendar 2021, with  strong audience and revenue performance across all businesses, both subscription and  advertising, underpinning 15% growth in EBITDA for theDecember half and surpassing the  guidance we gave back in November. Momentum remains clearly positive, with full year  guidance now of around 25% Group EBITDA growth to what would be a record result for Nine. 

Importantly, these results continue to be delivered by increasingly diversified, and  increasingly  digital revenue streams.

“In Radio, we have been strengthening our underlying business, while building our audiences, and with 23% of our listeners now live streaming our content, there is a real opportunity to further expand our Digital revenues.”

Nine’s Broadcast division comprises Total Television (Nine Network and 9Now) as well as NineRadio. Together, Broadcast reported EBITDA of $243m on revenues of $682m for the six months.

With the key markets of Melbourne and Sydney opening up during the half, the Metro radio admarket gained momentum, and finished the half up 13% on the previous corresponding period.

Nine also gained share momentum, both on an audience and revenue basis, with ad revenues up 15% for the half.

Nine Radio reported EBITDA of $6m, more than double the pcp, with the benefits of previous cost reductions and sale restructures combining with the improving advertising market.

The Company intends to pay an interim dividend of 7.0 cents per share, fully franked (payable 21April 2022).

 

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