ATRESMEDIA grows in net revenue (+15.5%), operating results (+43.2%) and net profit in the first quarter of 2024 (42.8%)
ATRESMEDIA GROUP
In the first quarter of 2024, Atresmedia generated a net profit of 245.1 million euros, up 15.5% from the previous year. Gross operating result (EBITDA) is €50.1 million, up €13.7 million from the first quarter of 2023 and the best first quarter performance since 2008. Net profit, in turn, grew by 42.8% during this period. up to 33.4 million euros.
Millions of eurosJan-MarchJan-March
Atresmedia Group20242023Evolution
Net profit245.1212.315.5%
Gross operating result50.136.337.8%
Result of operation45.932.143.2%
Benefits of exercise33.423.442.8%
Total investment in advertising2 increases by 4%. TV grew by 9.2% and radio was down slightly by 0.4%, both including digital markets.
Jan-MarchJan-March
Recommended operating variables20242023
TV1 audience26.9%27.3%
Radio listeners (millions)3 2.92.9
AUDIOVISUAL
The audiovisual business achieves a net profit of €229.1 million, up from €196.4 million in 2023, representing an increase of 16.7%.
Millions of eurosJan-MarchJan-March
Audiovisual20242023Evolution
Advertising in audiovisual content193.9169.514.4%
Content production and distribution 25.219.132.0%
Other income10.48.030.2%
Eliminations(0.3)(0.2)
Net profit229.1196.416.7%
Net audiovisual advertising revenues grew by 14.4% in the period to €193.9 million, driven by consolidated audience leadership and the content marketing strategy launched last year. These revenues include all advertising revenues from the commercialization of media spaces in which the Group participates (linear TV, connected TV, Atresplayer, digital channels, influencer marketing, owned websites and third-party editorial media).
Television consumption1 in Spain per person per day in the first quarter of 2024 was 3 hours 6 minutes.
Atresmedia remains the most watched television group in Spain for the sixth quarter in a row. It ends the first quarter of 2024 with 26.9% and is 1.2 points ahead of its competitor Mediaset, despite having one less channel. It also remained the primetime leader for the tenth consecutive quarter with 26.8%, 1.7 points ahead of Mediaset.
Antena 3 remained the unbeaten leading network for the tenth consecutive quarter (12.9%). This TV was the most watched for 29 months in a row and continues to surpass its competitor T5 (10.2% for the quarter) by almost three points. It also continues to extend its lead in primetime with 13.6%, trailing T5 by 4.1 points. It also remains the prime-time leader in the audience most interesting to advertisers: 11.3%, +1.1 from the fifth quarter. It’s the most watched television every day of the week. It has news, entertainment and the most popular series on television. It has the most viewed content daily: A3 Noticias (18.7% and 2,125,000 on average), El hormiguero (15.1% and 2,083,000), Pasapalabra (19.2% and 2,111,000) and La Roulette of luck (21.5% and 1,635,000). It includes new daily series Freedom Dreams (13.6% and 1,318,000), which has been the leader and most-watched daily series on television since its premiere in late February.
laSexta (6.3%) ranks third in popularity among private channels. He once again surpasses Cuatro (5.6%), which he has won for the last 33 months in a row. He has his best start to the year since 2022. It also leads the fourth Target Comercial ranking (7.5% vs. 6.5%). The channel’s most watched are Lo de Évole (7.6% and 1,069,000), El intermedia (7.3% and 1,020,000) and laSexta Noticias 14H (9.4% and 871,000).
Topics are up 7.7%, a quarterly high in more than three years. Atreseries (1.9%) once again recorded its best quarter in its history, while Mega (1.7%) remains the leading men’s channel with its best result in more than three years. Neox maintains its 2.0% lead and Nova (2.1%) is again the leading women’s theme, extending its lead over its rival and posting its best first quarter in two years.
In the digital business, Atresmedia remains the leading audiovisual group on the Internet as of March 20244. With an average of 24.1 million unique visitors, it ranks fifth among the most visited sites in Spain, its best performance since July 2022.
Revenue from content production and distribution reached €25.2 million, up from €19.1 million in the previous year, with growth of 32.0% primarily driven by international content sales, B2C and B2B SVOD platform Atresplayer revenues and the Cinema business .
Atresmedia Cine’s films in operation during the quarter lead the Spanish box office, accounting for 37% of the collection.
Atresplayer Premium continues to consolidate its business plan in terms of subscribers and content offering. The quarter saw the premiere of feature series such as “One Less Life to Live in the Canary Islands,” “Turkish Passion” and “New Dawn,” as well as programs such as “Drag Race All Stars.”
Internationally, Atresmedia channels have 56 million subscribers.
Other revenues, which mainly include events, licenses, publishing rights and sales of travel platform Waynabox, reach €10.4 million, up from €8.0 million in 2023.
RADIO
The radio business made a net profit of €18.6 million in the first quarter of 2024, up from €18.7 million in the previous year, offsetting the Easter effect in March.
Millions of eurosJan-MarchJan-March
Radio20242023Evolution
Net profit18.618.7(0.3%)
Atresmedia Radio3 has an average audience of 2.9 million listeners. Onda Cero strengthens its position with 1.9 million listeners and remains the third choice among general radio stations. In terms of thematic radio stations, Europa FM has 0.9 million registered listeners, while Melodía FM has 81 thousand.
FINANCIAL POSITION
The group’s net financial position is positive by €56.3 million, which is €33.3 million better than at the end of December 2023.
ESG
In the first quarter of 2024, Atresmedia began working to improve the calculation of Scope 3 emissions and promote cleaner production. Both measures aim to achieve the decarbonization targets set in the Net Zero strategy. On the other hand, with the launch of the Green Light awareness initiative, Onda Cero has made the fight against climate change an issue that cuts across all of its programs.
In addition, Atresmedia received an A grade in the CDP Climate Change Briefing Report for the first time, placing it above the European average and the sector average, which remain at B.
Following a human rights review undertaken at the end of 2023, the Panel finalized its Human Rights Due Diligence Guidance in January 2024, which includes the mechanisms the Panel has put in place to prevent, mitigate and, where appropriate, address possible violations of human rights and labor rights identified as relevant.
Atresmedia published its first dual materiality analysis in its 2023 EINF, approved by the Board of Directors in February 2024. The analysis, which will be mandatory for companies from next year, provides the basis for responding to upcoming CSRD and ESRS regulations.
FUTURE PROSPECTS
The economic outlook for the coming months remains quite optimistic. As for GDP dynamics, the latest published reports slightly improve initial estimates and already indicate growth this year of about 2%.
In this context, the entire advertising market started the year very positively, especially thanks to investments in television advertising, which grew at a significantly high rate. In the coming months, we predict less pronounced, but still positive dynamics compared to last year.
In this favorable market environment, Atresmedia continues month after month to strengthen its leading position among the audience, which it is able to effectively monetize thanks to its innovative commercial policies in the market and the support of technology. This, combined with consistent cost management, allows us to confirm the achievement by the end of the year of revenues exceeding 1,000 million euros and operating margins in line with recent years.
Within the framework of our financial position, we consider it reasonable to estimate positive net cash at the end of the 2024 financial year below 50 million euros, assuming the payment planned for June of additional dividends accrued for the 2023 financial year in the amount of 0.24 euro cents (54 million euros) and the projected payment of interim dividends payable for the current year.
Sources:
1Kantar Media
2Internal assessments
3EGM 3rd wave 2023 / 1st wave 2023 (moving average)
4Comskor