Earnings release
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RNS Number : 7213G LBG Media PLC 30 April 2025 30 April 2025 LBG Media plc ("LBG Media" or the "Group") Half-Year Trading Update and Notice of Results Positive momentum in H1 25 with double digit growth, US delivering significant wins and a healthy pipeline of opportunities LBG Media plc, a social entertainment powerhouse with a focus on young adults, is pleased to announce a trading update for the half-year ended 31 March 2025 ("H1 25" or "the period"). All figures relate to this period, unless otherwise stated. Trading update ● Positive momentum reflecting a diversified model with demand from brands and social audiences: revenue of £43.9m (HY24 £38.9m) up 13%, adjusted EBITDA £12.2m (HY24 £10.5m) up 16%. ● Progress across our three growth lenses: ○ US expansion, following our step-change acquisition of Betches in 2023, where the Group achieved significant wins, including our first US client exceeding $1m. ○ Direct (content and campaigns for brands and media agencies to reach young adults): revenues up 8%. ○ Indirect (revenues shared with platforms and partners that place adverts next to LBG Media content on social media and programmatically on our owned and operated websites): revenues up 17%. ● Global audience1 increased to 520m, up from 494m at H1 24 and 503m at FY24. ● Net cash and cash equivalents at 31 March 2025 of £32.9m compared to £27.2m at 30 September 2024, with strong cash conversion of over 100%. Outlook Whilst mindful of heightened macroeconomic volatility, the Board remains confident of delivering an increase in revenue of approximately 10% in FY25, as previously indicated. This reflects LBG Media's diversified model, momentum from wins in the US, healthy pipeline and audience engagement. CEO, Solly Solomou commented: " LBG Media had positive momentum in the first half of the year, with a strong revenue, profit and cash performance. This reflects our diversified revenue streams and positive progress in the US, the world's largest advertising market, where we are seeing demand from global blue-chip brands. Today, LBG Media is the UK's fifth largest social and digital business; reaching 70% of the UK's Gen Z population. We continue to expand our global social audiences and our brand is recognised as a leading social entertainment brand for young adults. LBG Media's diversified model, momentum from wins in the US, healthy pipeline and audience engagement support the Board's confidence of further progress in the second half of the financial year." Notice of Half-Year Results LBG Media intends to announce its 2025 half-year results on 24 June 2025. For further information please contact: LBG Media plc Solly Solomou, Co-founder & CEO investors@ladbiblegroup.com Dave Wilson, Executive Chair Zeus (Nominated Adviser & Broker) Tel: +44 (0) 161 831 1512 Dan Bate / Nick Cowles (Investment Banking) www.zeuscapital.co.uk Benjamin Robertson (Equity Capital Markets) Peel Hunt LLP (Joint Broker) Tel: +44 (0) 207 418 8990 Neil Patel www.peelhunt.com Benjamin Cryer Alice Lane Kate Bannatyne Media Enquiries FTI Consulting LLP Tel: +44 (0) 203 727 1000 Jamie Ricketts / Kwaku Aning / Jemima Gurney lbgmedia@fticonsulting.com Notes to editors As a social entertainment powerhouse, we help brands reach young adults on social media platforms, such as Facebook,
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As a social entertainment powerhouse, we help brands reach young adults on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X, YouTube and TikTok, and our owned and operated websites. We produce, curate, and distribute digital content that young adults engage with and want to share, whether through videos, editorials, images, or audio. We do this through brands such as Betches and those dedicated to distinct popular interests (e.g. news, sport, gaming) like LADbible and SPORTbible. Engagement is at the heart of what we do - which comes through in our two main revenue streams: a. We create bespoke content for blue-chip advertisers that gives them access to a young adult audience that is hard to reach for traditional media players. This is distributed across social media platforms and our owned and operated websites. We call this 'Direct' revenue. b. Third parties - such as social media platforms and programmatic advertising partners - generate revenue by placing advertising next to our content. We call this 'Indirect' revenue, and the revenue is shared between the publisher, which is us, and the social media platform or partner as applicable. LBG Media is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (AIM: LBG). Notes 1. Global audience reflects social followers, unique podcast listeners and average monthly website users in the period. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com . RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy Policy . END TSTEAFLNALDSEAA