REG - LBG Media PLC - Half-Year Trading Update and Notice of Results

LBG MediaAnnouncement

Wed 07:00

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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 (http://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 (mailto:ladbiblegroup@fticonsulting.com)

 

Notes to editors

 

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.

 

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