RTL Group has announced that in the third quarter of 2010 its EBITDA increased by 47.8% to €133 million from €90 million in the same period last year. This growth in EBITDA was driven by Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, Groupe M6 and RTL Nederland.
With TV advertising markets across Western Europe growing significantly year-on-year, RTL Group’s reported revenue was up 8.8% to €1,160 million in the third quarter of 2010 (Q3/2009: €1,066 million). The reported EBITDA margin was 11.5%, up from 8.4 % in the third quarter of 2009.
During the period January to September 2010 reported revenue grew by 7.9% to €3,821 million (Q1–3/2009: €3,541 million), while reported EBITDA increased by 46.6% to €670 million (Q1–3/2009: €457 million). The EBITDA increase was driven by significantly improved results from most profit centres. The reported EBITDA margin for the first nine months of the year was 17.5% compared to 12.9% for the same period last year.
Some highlights reported by the RTL Group are the granting of a licence in September by the Croatian Electronic Media Council to RTL Televizija for a concession for a new specialised channel, named RTL 2; the new channel will go on air in January 2011. On July 23, the disposal of the 100% shareholding in Five was completed.
The Group also said it has a good start into the new programming season 2010/11 in Germany, France and The Netherlands. Among young viewers, RTL Television in Germany achieved an audience share of 18.8% in September and 19.3% in October, the highest monthly share since January 2004.
With an audience share of 17.5% in the commercial target group of housewives aged under 50 in September, M6 had the most successful month in the year to date. In the target group of viewers aged 20 to 49, RTL Nederland’s channels scored a combined audience share of 35.7% in September and 37.4% in October, the best monthly share in 13 years.
