European entertainment network RTL Group has reported record revenue of EUR 6.03 billion for 2015, up 3.8 percent from EUR 5.81 billion in 2014, driven by increasing revenue at Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, growing digital revenue and favourable exchange rate effects. Group revenue is well diversified with 53.7 percent from broadcast advertising (TV and radio), 22 percent from content, 8.4 percent from digital activities, 4.1 percent from platform revenue (EUR 248 million) and 11.8 percent other revenue.
Reported EBITA reached a record EUR 1.17 billion in 2015, up 2 percent from EUR 1.14 billion in 2014, mainly driven by a significantly higher EBITA contribution from Germany. The reported EBITDA margin was 19.4 percent, compared to 19.7 percent in 2014. EBITDA was up slightly by 1 percent to EUR 1.36 billion, from EUR 1.35 billion in 2014. Net profit attributable to RTL Group shareholders increased by 21 per cent to EUR 789 million (2014: EUR 652 million). The 2014 net profit was impacted by impairment of goodwill of subsidiaries for EUR 88 million.
In Q4 2015, reported group revenue was up 1.4 percent year-on-year to EUR 1.89 billion, with reported EBITA down 3.4 percent to EUR 451 million. The Board of Directors has proposed a final ordinary dividend of EUR 3 per share for the fiscal year 2015, compared to EUR 2.50 per share in 2014.
Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland registered EBITA of EUR 684 million for 2015, up 5.2 percent from EUR 650 million in 2014, driven mainly by higher TV advertising and diversification revenue. Despite a strong performance in TV, Groupe M6's EBITA decreased to EUR 205 million in 2015 (2014: EUR 209 million), mainly due to lower contribution from diversification activities.
The EBITA of content production arm FremantleMedia fell to EUR 103 million, from EUR 113 million in 2014, with RTL Nederland's EBITA down 1.9 percent to EUR 101 million, from EUR 103 million a year earlier. At RTL Hungary, EBITA was up to EUR 21 million, compared to a 2014 loss of EUR 1 million.
