DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG announced record financial results for the fiscal year 2025, with revenue surging approximately 33% to EUR 490.0 million and EBITDA more than doubling to EUR 32.1 million. The company also set a new all-time high for tickets sold, exceeding 12 million, up from 11 million in the prior year. This performance reflects the successful execution of its buy-and-build strategy, reduction of minority interests, and expansion of its international footprint.
Revenue growth was broad-based, with the fourth quarter alone contributing EUR 167.2 million, a 42.9% increase year-over-year. The EBITDA margin improved significantly from 3.9% to 6.6%. A substantial portion of ticket sales was generated through DEAG's proprietary ticketing platforms, including myticket.de and gigantic.com. By year-end, DEAG had already sold approximately 3 million tickets for 2026 events, securing EUR 151.5 million in future revenue and providing strong visibility for the current fiscal year.
DEAG continued its buy-and-build strategy, acquiring a majority stake in the ROCKHARZ Festival, one of Germany's largest rock and metal festivals. It also increased its holdings in Fane Productions and UK ticketing platform gigantic.com to 100%. International operations, notably Italian subsidiary MC2 Live, delivered exceptional performance in its first full year post-acquisition. The company reduced minority interests in high-performing group companies as planned.
In 2025, DEAG organized major tours and events featuring Ed Sheeran, Iron Maiden, Till Lindemann, and others. The Spoken Word & Literary Events segment, including the "An Evening with…" series and lit.COLOGNE, achieved strong results. Christmas Gardens attracted around 1.6 million visitors, and festivals like NATURE ONE and Belladrum Tartan Heart contributed to a robust festival season.
Looking ahead to 2026, DEAG expects a high density of events, including tours by Judas Priest, Die Toten Hosen, and Gorillaz, as well as non-music events like "Monster Jam" and "The Lord of the Rings in Concert." Post-reporting period, DEAG acquired remaining minority stakes in Wizard Live, LiveGeist Entertainment, and Wizard Communications, and a majority stake in the Juicy Beats festival. It also acquired a majority stake in conneccted: EVENTS & LIVE MARKETING GmbH via its subsidiary Mewes Entertainment Group.
DEAG's financial structure was strengthened by a EUR 75 million corporate bond placement. The company anticipates that fiscal 2026 revenue may temporarily decline due to cyclical factors but expects to exceed EUR 400 million with an improved EBITDA margin. For subsequent years, DEAG forecasts further growth, underpinned by its integrated business model and strong ticketing platforms.
Group CEO Detlef Kornett stated: 'The measures we implemented in the transformation year 2024 to enhance our competitiveness, profitability and efficiency had a clearly positive impact in financial year 2025.' The full Annual Financial Report 2025 is available on DEAG's corporate website.
