DGAP-News: Highlight Communications AG / Key word(s): Annual Report/Annual Results 
Highlight Group closes the financial year on a positive note despite coronavirus pandemic 
2021-04-30 / 11:00 
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. 
=---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
PRESS RELEASE 
Highlight Group closes the financial year on a positive note despite coronavirus pandemic 
  . Consolidated sales at CHF 414.6 million (previous year: CHF 486.8 million) 
  . EBIT declines by 13.4 % to CHF 25.6 million 
  . Consolidated net profit for the period attributable to shareholders falls by 51.6 % to CHF 12.2 million 
  . Earnings per share down 52.3 % to CHF 0.21 
  . Equity ratio increases to 31.3 % as at December 31, 2020 compared with 29.3 % as at December 31, 2019 
Pratteln, April 30, 2021 - The business performance of the Highlight Group in 2020 was satisfactory on the whole in 
light of the sustained COVID-19 pandemic. 
Group development in fiscal 2020 
  . At CHF 414.6 million, consolidated sales were down 14.8 % on the prior-year figure of CHF 486.8 million. All 
    segments (Film, Sports- and Event-Marketing and Sports) generated lower external sales than in the previous year, 
    in particular due to theatre closures and sports events that were not held. 
 
  . At CHF 498.3 million, consolidated operating expenses were optimised due to flexibility and were down 16.2 % on the 
    figure for fiscal 2019 (CHF 594.9 million). 
 
  . The decrease in sales partlyoffset by consolidated operating expenses, resulting in an EBIT of CHF 25.6 million 
    (previous year: CHF 29.5 million). 
 
  . Taking into account tax expenses (current and deferred taxes) in the amount of CHF 8.2 million compared with tax 
    income of CHF 2.9 million in the previous year, the consolidated net profit amounted to CHF 12.0 million, down on 
    the prior-year figure of CHF 25.4 million. 
 
  . The share of earnings attributable to Highlight's shareholders is CHF 12.2 million after CHF 25.2 million in the 
    previous year. 
 
  . Based on an average of 56.7 million shares in circulation in the reporting year (previous year: 56.8 million), this 
    resulted in earnings per share of CHF 0.21 (previous year: CHF 0.44). 
Development of the operating segments in 2020 
 
  . In the Film segment, the Constantin Film Group had to revise its targets in fiscal 2020 owing to the closure of 
    movie theaters and the temporary suspension of shooting in conjunction with the national lockdowns in March and 
    November. There were a total of six in-house and co-productions in theatrical production, including the in-house 
    production "Caveman" and the productions "Hui Buh 2", the "Resident Evil" reboot and "Zwischen uns". Four movies 
    were released in German movie theaters in theatrical distribution in the fiscal year, including "After We 
    Collided". In TV exploitation/license trading, various license sales of in-house and third-party productions took 
    place. "Black Beauty", a production originally intended for global theatrical exploitation, was sold to the 
    streaming service Disney+. 
    In free TV, sales were generated in particular by the start of initial licenses such as "Fack Ju Göhte 3" (Sat. 1). 
    In the pay TV sector, there were also the initial licenses for "Das perfekte Geheimnis" (Sky) and "Der Vorname" 
    (Sky). 
    Sales in the Film segment amounted to CHF 261.3 million in the reporting year (previous year: CHF 303.5 million). 
    Other segment income, which is largely influenced by capitalized film production costs, fell by 18.6 % to CHF 104.3 
    million (previous year: CHF 128.0 million). Due to a significant reduction in amortization in particular, segment 
    expenses declined by 15.1 % in total to CHF 352.4 million (previous year: CHF 415.2 million), resulting in segment 
    earnings falling by 19.1 % to CHF 13.3 million (previous year: CHF 16.4 million). 
 
  . In the Sport- and Event-Marketing segment, the TEAM group the development of commercial concepts and rights 
    packages for the 2021/22 to 2023/24 cycle of the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, and the newly 
    founded UEFA European Conference League in the reporting year. 
    At CHF 61.5 million, external sales in the Sports- and Event-Marketing segment were down by 5.0 % on the previous 
    year's level (CHF 64.7 million) on account of currency effects. Segment expenses declined from CHF 36.2 million to 
    CHF 34.8 million, while other income fell from CHF 0.7 million to CHF 0.6 million. 
    As a result, segment earnings were down 6.6 % year-on-year at CHF 27.2 million (previous year: CHF 29.2 million). 
 
  . In the reporting year, the Sports segment continued to focus on optimizing its portfolio of rights, improving and 
    creating new digital content and marketing environments in addition to cross-platform content exploitation, 
    networking and capitalization. 
    The segment generated sales of CHF 91.8 million in fiscal 2020, down 22.6 % on the figure for the previous year 
    (CHF 118.6 million). Other income declined by 47.1 % from CHF 9.2 million to CHF 4.9 million. Expenses amounted to 
    CHF 106.2 million, down 22.2 % on the previous year (CHF 136.5 million), as a result of which segment earnings also 
    fell to CHF -9.0 million (previous year: CHF -8.2 million). 
Targets for fiscal 2021 
The global spread of the COVID 19 virus continued to weigh on the Highlight Group's operating activities in the first 
quarter of 2021. 
As in the previous year, the Board of Directors is monitoring the situation in the current reporting period and 
regularly reviews the measures taken. 
However, in the event that the national COVID 19 restrictions cease to apply, Highlight Group is ready to return to 
stable and economically successful business activities with major growth potential, including a strong theatre program 
in the Film segment and the new Bundesliga rights for the 2021/22 season in the Sports segment. Due to the 
unpredictable developments of the COVID 19 situation, the Board of Directors is currently unable to issue a forecast 
for fiscal 2021. 
The Annual General Meeting for fiscal 2020 is scheduled to take place in June 2021. 
From today, the annual report for 2020 can be downloaded from www.highlight-communications.ch in German and English 
The Highlight Group at a glance 
Group figures (IFRS) 
 
CHF million                                      2020          2019 Change in % 
Sales                                           414.6         486.8       -14.8 
EBIT                                             25.6          29.5       -13.4 
Consolidated net profit                          12.0          25.4       -52.8 
(after taxes) 
Net profit attributable to shareholders          12.2          25.2       -51.6 
Earnings per share (in CHF)                      0.21          0.44       -52.3 
Segment revenue 
Film                                            261.4         303.6       -13.9 
Sports- and Event-Marketing                      61.5          64.7        -5.0 
Sports                                           92.2         119.0       -22.5 
Segment earnings 
Film                                             13.3          16.4       -19.1 
Sports- and Event-Marketing                      27.2          29.2        -6.6 
Sports                                           -9.0          -8.2         n/a 
 
CHF million                             Dec. 31, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Change in % 
Total assets                                    661.3         673.9        -1.9 
Equity                                          207.0         197.7         4.7 
Equity ratio (%)                                 31.3          29.3  2.0 points 
Financial liabilities                           172.7         187.7        -8.0 
Cash and cash equivalents                        48.2          53.0        -9.0 
 
 
For further information: 
Highlight Communications AG 
Investor Relations 
Netzibodenstrasse 23b 
CH-4133 Pratteln BL 
Tel: +41 (0) 61 816 96 91 
E-mail: ir@hlcom.ch -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2021-04-30 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


Language:     English 
Company:      Highlight Communications AG 
              Netzibodenstrasse 23b 
              4133 Pratteln 
              Switzerland 
Phone:        +41 61 816 96 96 
Fax:          +41 61 816 67 67 
E-mail:       ir@hlcom.ch 
Internet:     www.hlcom.ch 
ISIN:         CH0006539198 
WKN:          920299 
Listed:       Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, 
              Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange 
EQS News ID:  1191201 
 
End of News   DGAP News Service 
=------------

1191201 2021-04-30


 
Image link: 
https://eqs-cockpit.com/cgi-bin/fncls.ssp?fn=show_t_gif&application_id=1191201&application_name=news

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 30, 2021 05:00 ET (09:00 GMT)