Viaplay Group’s Q3 2024 interim report January-September

Continued focus on performance improvements, product relevance and cost control in all areas

Third quarter financial highlights

>        Total reported Group net sales of SEK 4,412m (4,536) and total operating income before associated company income (ACI) and items affecting comparability (IAC) of SEK -56m (-321)

>        6% organic sales growth for core operations (Nordics, Netherlands and Select), with reported sales of SEK 4,209m (4,206) and operating income before ACI and IAC of SEK -49m (-112)

>        Total reported operating income of SEK 2m (-538) including ACI of SEK 52m (36) and IAC1 of SEK 5m (-253)

>        Net income of SEK -148m (-693) and basic earnings per share of SEK -0.03 (-8.85)

>        Group free cash flow of SEK -1,523m (-1,081), and financial net debt position of SEK 1,202m (net debt of SEK 1,465m)

>        Full-year financial targets are unchanged
 

Financial summary

1) Items affecting comparability in Q3 2024 comprised unrealised non-cash currency effects related to previous content provisions and nine months 2024 also comprised capital gain on divestment of Viaplay UK business and redundancy costs. Please see page 23 regarding items affecting comparability.

Alternative performance measures used in this report are explained and reconciled on pages 20-25.

A word from our President & CEO

We have continued along our path to retransform Viaplay Group into a competitive and value-creating company. As agreed with those who supported our recapitalisation, and together with our key partners, we have rolled out new products that are relevant and right priced for our customers, and we are taking a wide range of actions to control costs and prevent value leakage. We are streamlining our operations to drive efficiency improvements and make the organisation fit for purpose. Where we extend, enhance, or renegotiate partnerships with suppliers and distributors of our content portfolio, we are ensuring that the terms are sustainable and to the long-term benefit of all parties. Where this is not possible, we partner with other suppliers and distributors. There is still much more to be done, but we remain on track and have made no changes to our full year guidance.

World-class motor racing remains a key driver of audience engagement across all our core markets, ranking as the most-viewed content both in terms of unique users and total viewing minutes. The new football season kicked off with the Champions League returning to Viaplay in Sweden, the launch of our new Premier League studio, and the opening games of the Superliga, Europa League, Conference League and NHL. We have a strong Q4 line-up, which will also feature coverage of the Junior Ice Hockey World Championship, Women's EHF Euro Handball, and FIS winter sports.

On the non-sports side, our revised content strategy with its increased focus on non-scripted formats is paying off with higher viewing and return on investment levels. The new seasons of reality formats ‘Paradise Hotel’, ‘Robinson’ and ‘Charter Fever’ all performed well in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, respectively. The Q4 slate includes new seasons of proven formats like ‘Efterlyst’, ‘Lyxfällan’ and ‘Come dine with me’, as well as the premieres of new formats such as ‘Summer in Magaluf’ and Swedish drama ‘The street where I live’.

Our efforts to monetise our unique content portfolio included the pan-Nordic rollout of our HVOD tier on Viaplay. It is still early days, but this competitively priced tier, which includes advertising, has so far attracted new customer segments, led to reactivation by former subscribers, and complemented our existing subscriber base. We have also launched our new premium sports news channel in Denmark, which is available to premium subscribers on Viaplay and as a linear channel through key distribution partners, with whom we have signed new agreements.

The measures that we are taking to reduce account sharing were implemented in Denmark, Sweden and Norway in the quarter, and are now active in all of our core markets. It is still early days, but the level of sharing has already decreased, and the majority of former account sharers have retained their subscriptions.

We are continuing to discuss with both our current and new distribution partners how we can build long-term and mutually beneficial partnerships based around the popularity of our current content offering and the launching of innovative new products. We have extended and expanded some agreements, found new partners and discontinued other partnerships. This applies to both our content suppliers and distribution partners and we have much more to do in this area.

The 6% organic sales growth for our core operations reflected growth in our combined linear and Viaplay subscription revenues, as well as the sale of sports and non-sports content to third parties.

Combined linear and Viaplay subscription revenues were up 1% organically and driven by price increases and new agreements with partners. Our Viaplay D2C ARPU was up in each of our core markets, and we experienced the usual subscriber churn and return patterns during the summer months when several major sports are also between seasons. 

Our advertising revenues were slightly down, as the growth in our radio and digital advertising revenues did not fully offset the decline in linear TV advertising markets and the impact of the coverage of key sports events on rival channels. The launch of our HVOD offering across the Nordics has increased our digital inventory, and we are focused on accelerating growth in our digital ad sales.

The substantial increase in sublicensing revenues was driven by ongoing sales of our scripted formats and the sublicensing of parts of our sports content. This demonstrates our commitment to partnerships that help us maximise the return on our investments.

Core sales growth, along with our cost reduction efforts enabled us to reduce our EBIT losses year on year and sequentially. The underlying improvement was even better when considering the substantial negative FX effects we continue to face, and the fact that we have sold or closed most of our studios businesses over the past year. We are working to exit our non-core operations as quickly as possible and minimising the adverse cash impact as much as possible.

We had net debt of SEK 1,465m at the end of the quarter, and our free cash flow of SEK -1,523m was in line with our plan and reflected the usual seasonal content payment patterns.

“Our content offering is gradually becoming more relevant and attractive, as we develop and enhance our storytelling. Our products must be priced right and paid for fairly. Our partnerships must be mutually beneficial. Our culture must reflect our position and our ambition. We are focused on making the improvements that are needed to turn compelling storytelling

into strong and sustainable business.”

Overall, we are making steady progress towards our long-term goals of retransforming Viaplay Group back into a successful, competitive, profitable, cash flow positive and shareholder value creating company. Much remains to be done, and this work is led by our smart and engaged people who are boldly changing the way we do things by being constantly curious and challenging convention.

Jørgen Madsen Lindemann

President & CEO

Shareholder information

Financial calendar

Conference call

A conference call will take place today, Tuesday 22 October at 09.00 Stockholm local time, 08.00 London local time and 03.00 New York local time.

The conference call can be accessed online  https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/4bkvq9dt

Or, register for the conference call at

https://register.vevent.com/register/BI0cd02021cb1f49aba9f3e6a843f327b4

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NOTES TO EDITORS

This information is information that Viaplay Group AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Swedish Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 07:30 CET on 22 October 2024.

Viaplay Group AB (publ) is the Nordic region’s leading entertainment provider. Our Viaplay streaming service is available in every Nordic country, as well as in the Netherlands and Poland, and our Viaplay Select branded content concept has been added to partner platforms around the world. We also operate TV channels across most of our markets, as well as radio stations in Norway and Sweden. Our talented people come to work every day with a shared passion and clear mission to entertain millions of people with our unique offering of locally relevant storytelling, which spans premium live sports, films, series and music. Our purpose is to grow our business profitably and responsibly, and deliver sustainable value for all our stakeholders. Viaplay Group is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (‘VPLAY B’).

This interim report contains statements concerning, among other things, Viaplay Group's financial condition and results of operations that are forward-looking in nature. Such statements are not historical facts but, rather, represent Viaplay Group's future expectations. Viaplay Group believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions; however, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of important factors could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Such important factors include but may not be limited to Viaplay Group's market position; growth in the streaming industry; and the effects of competition and other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting the business of Viaplay Group, its group companies and the streaming industry in general. Forward-looking statements apply only as of the date they were made and, other than as required by applicable law, Viaplay Group undertakes no obligation to update any of them in the light of new information or future events.

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