RTL strong Q1
May 7, 2010
Europe’s biggest commercial broadcaster RTL Group expects to see results improving this year compared with 2009 after it posted strong first-quarter earnings thanks to a recovery in TV advertising markets.
Compared to a weak first quarter in 2009, most of the Western European TV advertising markets recorded robust growth during the first quarter 2010, with Germany, France and the UK showing the best development, RTL said.
RTL reported a 7.2% year-on-year increase in underlying revenue to E1.3bn (£1.1bn) in the first three months of 2010. It is the first year-on-year revenue growth the company has seen since reporting a 3.2% increase in the last quarter of 2008. Reported EBITDA surged by 126% year on year in the first quarter to E197m. Channel Five group reported an operating loss of E10m last year.