ots Ad hoc-Service: BRAINPOOL TV AG <DE0005188908> BRAINPOOL TV AG: Final figures for 1999
Cologne (ots Ad hoc-Service) -
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- Operating profits forecast for 99 exceeded by 180 percent - Licensing sales reach 55.4 million DM, up 106 percent over 1998 - Fantastic development in Internet sales
BRAINPOOL TV AG has far exceeded its profit and sales forecasts for 1999. The EBIT of 4.35 million DM was 180 percent higher than that predicted at the time the company went public in November 1999. The adjusted earnings per share amount to 0.82 DM. Analysts expected 0.01 DM. Sales reached 55.4 million DM, 2.5 million DM more than in 1998. Taking into account that during the last financial year BRAINPOOL TV has consequently switched from comissioned production to a purely license production, that represents an increase in licensing sales of 106 percent.
CEO of BRAINPOOL TV AG, Jörg Grabosch, put the significant increase over profit forecasts down to the fantastic success enjoyed by the company's CDs, along with declining TV production costs. In particular the hit singles "Maschen-Draht-Zaun" and "Ö la Palöma Blanca" far exceeded expectations, reaching Nos. 1 and 2 in the German singles charts. Overall during the last financial year, BRAINPOOL TV sold a total of 1.6 million CDs.
Sales also developed very successfully in 1999. The complete switch to license production, licensing sales more than doubled, over compensating for the 26 million DM earned in 1998 from comissioned production. Since 1999 BRAINPOOL TV has been developing, producing and marketing its own TV programmes such as "TV total", "Die Wochenshow", "Voll Witzig" and "liebe sünde" entirely on its own account. All rights to these formats are retained by BRAINPOOL TV. By taking this step, for which a one- off drop in profits from 5.5 million DM in 1998 to 4.35 million DM in 1999 was consciously budgeted for, BRAINPOOL TV is now able to market its own brands in Free-TV and Pay-TV as well as in Internet, merchandising, CDs and events.
BRAINPOOL TV shows celebrated new successes in 1999. "TV total" (Pro Sieben), "Die Wochenshow" (SAT.1), "liebe sünde" (Pro Sieben) and "Voll witzig" (SAT.1) consistently managed to increase their ratings, putting all of them well above the average for the broadcasters concerned. The 1999 editions of annual productions "Danke Anke - The Christmas Gala" (SAT.1) and "Die Pannenshow" (SAT.1) also managed to repeat their 1998 successes. Also new for 1999, BRAINPOOL TV has developed and produced its first fiction series, "ANKE - The Comedy Series" (SAT.1) along with new formats such as "Brisko's Jahrhundertshow" (SAT.1) with Bastian Pastewka and the "Ingo Appelt-Show" (Pro Sieben). The launch of "Gottschalk's Welt" marks the company's first joint project with ZDF. BRAINPOOL TV has also succeeded in selling the first 50 episodes of its "Wochenshow" to the Pay-TV station Premiere World, its first deal with this extremely lucrative distribution channel. The new series "ANKE - The Comedy Series" hit the screen in January 2000 to great acclaim. Even before the programme was launched, SAT.1 had ordered 5 more episodes to follow on from the first run of 8 shows and has recently exercised its option on a further 13 episodes. The production of which will begin in the summer. Another series is planned featuring Ingolf Lück, the anchorman of "Wochenshow" and "Voll Witzig".
Another success story to unfold in 1999 was the company's Internet business. With around 12 million page impressions each month, the Internet production of BRAINPOOL TV AG rank among the most successful web sites in Germany. Following its phenomenal start in November 1999, www.tvtotal.de is currently attracting around 8.8 million page impressions per month and has been joined by www.wochenshow.de (1.2 million PIs) and www.liebesuende.de (2.2 million PIs). The success of these sites has far exceeded expectations and it is likely that potential sales for the year 2000 will outstrip previous revenue forecasts. A further boost is likely to come from BRAINPOOL TV AG's new ecommerce activities. Recently BRAINPOOL TV has agreed some highly promising cooperations with CONDOMI AG for an online erotica shop and with ADORI AG for large-scale entertainment shops.
For the current financial year BRAINPOOL TV AG expects to generate sales of around 88 million DM, with a significant increase in EBIT to 12.8 million DM. Analysts forecast earnings per share for 2000 of 2.75 DM. In the year 2001 BRAINPOOL TV intends to increase sales to 115 million DM and EBIT to 19 million DM. This order of growth will enable BRAINPOOL TV to further expand its market position as Germany's leading independent TV producer.
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