DGAP-Adhoc: CTS EVENTIM AG: Record figures despite the global economic crisis

CTS EVENTIM AG / Preliminary Results

12.02.2009 

Release of a Adhoc News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Ad-hoc Announcement pursuant to Section 15 WpHG (Securities Trading Act)

Preliminary figures for the 2008 business year

CTS EVENTIM: Record figures despite the global economic crisis
Ticketing up 37.4% / 35.2% growth in Internet sales, the sales channel of
the future / Group increases revenue by 5.2% to EUR 404.4 million / EBITDA
improves by 7.3% to EUR 57.8 million / Attractive programme of tours and
concerts in 2009 as well

Munich, 12 February 2009. The ticketing business for music, cultural and
sports events is booming even in times of financial and economic crisis.
More than 70 million tickets were sold in 2008 using the systems developed
and operated by the EVENTIM Group. The company is proving once again that
is has strong revenue and earnings even in a troubled economic climate. CTS
EVENTIM AG, which is listed on the SDAX exchange (ISIN DE0005470306),
generated EUR 404.4 million in revenue in the 2008 business year (2007: EUR
384.4 million, up 5.2%), an EBIT of EUR 50.3 million (2007: EUR 47.1
million, up 6.8%) and an EBITDA of EUR 57.8 million (2007: EUR 53.9
million, up 7.3%). The Management Board assesses fiscal 2008 as a very good
year. At the end of March 2009, after the annual financial statements have
been finalised, the company will present the Group profit, earnings per
share and a dividend proposal.

Ticketing: Revenue increased by 37.4% and EBIT by 30.1%

The significantly higher revenue and earnings achieved by the Ticketing
segment were mainly attributable to high-margin ticket sales via the
Internet. The progressive shift in ticket sales towards online ordering is
seen by the Management Board as a key growth driver, also in the years
ahead.  With revenue at EUR 120.2 million before consolidation of segments
(2007: EUR 87.5 million, up 37.4%), a strongly improved EBIT figure of EUR
34.7 million was achieved (2007: EUR 26.6 million, up 30.1%). EBITDA came
in at EUR 40.1 million (2007: EUR 32.0 million, up 25.3%). The volume of
online sales grew to 9.6 million tickets (2007: 7.1 million tickets, up
35.2%), strongly confirming the Internet as the sales channel of the
future. A total of 232 million visitors were logged in the course of 2008
by the CTS Group websites, especially the online portals at www.eventim.de
and www.getgo.de. The additional companies included in consolidation and
the expenses for implementing the partnership with Live Nation led, as
expected, to reduced earnings margins in the 2008 business year.

Live Entertainment: Strong market position despite slight declines in
revenue

As expected, the Live Entertainment segment did not quite match the record
figures achieved the year before. This was due to a slightly smaller number
of concerts and tours. Revenue in 2008 amounted to EUR 288.0 million (2007:
EUR 301.3 million, down 4.4%), while EBIT came in at EUR 15.7 million
(2007: EUR 20.5 million, down 23.4%) and EBITDA at EUR 17.7 million (2007:
EUR 21.8 million, down 19.0%). Start-up costs for new types of event
reduced earnings by EUR 2 million over the reporting period.

Outlook: World-class programme of concerts in 2009 as well

The Management Board expects demand for tickets to the concerts and tours
offered by CTS to remain consistently high during the current business
year. Over the next few months, international stars such as Bruce
Springsteen, Depeche Mode, Madonna, Pink, AC/DC and Coldplay will be
performing concerts in Germany in what are sure to be sold-out halls and
stadiums. The company will continue to focus on consistent growth of its
Internet ticketing operations and on international expansion. The most
recent acquisition was in September 2008, when CTS took over Lippupiste OY,
the Finnish ticketing company.

The Annual Report will be available on the Internet at www.eventim.de in
both German and English, in an online version and in download form, from 31
March 2009 onwards.


For further information contact:
Volker Bischoff, CFO, CTS EVENTIM AG, +49 421-3666-233 
DGAP 12.02.2009 
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Language:     English
Issuer:       CTS EVENTIM AG
              Contrescarpe 75 A
              28195 Bremen
              Deutschland
Phone:        +49 (0)421-36 66-233
Fax:          +49 (0)421-36 66-290
E-mail:       investor@eventim.de
Internet:     www.eventim.de
ISIN:         DE0005470306
WKN:          547030
Indices:      SDAX
Listed:       Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
              in Berlin, Hannover, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart
End of News                                     DGAP News-Service
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