Annual ReportAnnual 2018 Modern Times Group MTG AB Annual Report 2018 Content 1 2018 IN BRIEF 2 CEO STATEMENT 4 THE SPLIT 6 THE NEW MTG 10 BUSINESS OPERATIONS 11 SEGMENTAL PERFORMANCE 12 DIRECTOR’S REPORT 13 BUSINESS OPERATIONS 15 BUSINESS REVIEW 17 BUSINESS SEGMENTS 19 OTHER GROUP INFORMATION 20 THE MTG SHARE 22 FINANCIAL POLICIES AND RISK MANAGEMENT 24 GOVERNANCE AND RESPONSIBILITIES 29 INTERNAL CONTROL REPORT 30 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 32 GROUP MANAGEMENT 34 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 46 NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS 83 SIGNATURES 84 AUDIT REPORT 88 FIVE YEAR SUMMARY 89 ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES 91 DEFINITIONS 92 FINANCIAL CALENDER Corporate responsibility and sustainability priorities are covered in MTG’s Annual Corporate Responsibility Report, published on www.mtg.com MTG is a leading international digital entertainment group and we are shaping the future of entertainment by connecting consumers with the content that they love in as many ways as possible. Our brands span TV, radio and next generation entertainment experiences in esports, digital video content and online gaming. Born in Sweden, our shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Annual Report 2018 Annual Report 2018 Content 2018 in brief Sales, SEKm Operating income before IAC, SEKm 19,742 1,571 +4% organic growth +24% growth Initiative to As in 2017, the Group’s sales, profits and margins all improved. The transformation continued as we stepped up our investments into ESL and Splay while exiting our Afro-urban entertainment company Trace Partners. We also worked hard to prepare for Split the split of MTG into two, which took place at the 1 One became two in Q1 2019 with beginning of 2019 with the distribution and listing of the distribution of NENT Group NENT Group shares on Nasdaq Stockholm. Annual Report 2018 Annual Report 2018 CEO STATEMENT A record year and a successful split CEO Statement | 2018 was a successful and eventful year for MTG. We delivered higher sales, profits and margins, while at the same time preparing for the split of MTG, which marks the latest chapter in our transformation story. One became two on 28 March 2019 when all the shares that we distributed in NENT Group were successfully listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Both companies have a bright future ahead of them with attractive offerings and equity stories. 2 2018 was an eventful year for MTG Continued operational performance The transformation journey that we have The transformation has not been without been on during the past four years acceler- challenges, so I am proud to report that we ated even further in 2018. We started the again delivered on our profitable growth year with the proposed merger of our ambition in 2018. Net sales were up 13% Nordic businesses with TDC Group, in and operating income before items order to create a scale consumer cham- affecting comparability was up 24%, pion providing unique benefits for custom- despite being burdened by significant ers and significant synergies. This combi- transaction costs related to the TDC deal nation was later terminated following the and split of MTG. The Nordic Entertain- take-over of TDC Group by a financial con- ment segment continued to perform well sortium. This was followed by the Board of in 2018, with the growth in our streaming Directors’ decision to initiate a process to platforms more than compensating for prepare for the split of MTG into two listed the headwind from falling linear viewing companies by distributing all of the shares and subscriber erosion in our satellite in Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT platform. MTG Studios reported falling Group) to MTG’s shareholders. We have sales and profits, which primarily also continued to actively align our portfo- reflected timing differences in our drama lio to the new strategy, which included the productions, but we did see a positive divestment of Trace Partners and acquisi- trend shift at the end of 2018. MTGx sales tions of further shares in ESL, Zoomin.TV were up significantly and boosted by the and Splay Networks. The February 2019 consolidation of InnoGames and Kongre- Extraordinary General Meeting of MTG gate, and profitable on a full year basis for shareholders voted in favour of the split, the first time. Nova, our Bulgarian busi- and NENT Group was successfully dis- ness and the only remaining asset in the tributed to our shareholders and listed on International Entertainment segment, Nasdaq Stockholm on March 28 2019. continued its very healthy performance Annual Report 2018 Annual Report 2018 CEO STATEMENT The operational with significantly increased sales and prof- AT&T and McDonalds. momentum of recent its. We signed an agreement at the begin- The video gaming mar- “ ning of the year to sell Nova to PPF Group, ket is today worth well years continued which was later disallowed by the Bulgar- above USD 100 billion, into 2018 and again ian Competition Commission. We have which is more than subsequently announced the sale of Nova the movie and music demonstrates that to Advance Media Group and have now businesses combined. received local regulatory approval. Nova Our key investments our strategy is will remain part of MTG until the sale is are in InnoGames and completed in April 2019. Kongregate. InnoGames runs working. a portfolio of seven successful Being at the forefront of the industry free-to-play games that are played MTG is well-known not only for its inno- on PC or mobile devices, including vation but also for being brave enough to titles such as ‘Forge of Empires’, ‘Elvenar’ challenge and disrupt itself. We always and the newly launched ‘Warlords of Ater- ethics, and environmental care. As MTG aim to invest our time, energy and money num’. Kongregate is firmly established as and NENT Group start their separate jour- in those areas where our customers spend a leading publisher of mobile and PC neys, new corporate responsibility strate- most of theirs. The adoption of subscrip- games. gies, goals and targets that reflect their tion-based streaming services has been individual positioning will be communi- very fast, and Nordic penetration levels A clear vision and a winning team cated in 2019. are now close to 50%. We expect that this Both MTG and NENT Group are focused level will reach near to 100% in the com- on some of the most exciting entertain- Bright future ahead of us ing years with multiple subscriptions per ment segments. Competition is fierce, MTG and NENT Group have bright futures household. I am happy that we took the and we need to be chosen by our custom- ahead of them. We have talented teams 3 bold decision many years ago to disrupt ers every day. The MTG way of doing that with a clear focus on consumer relevance our business by aggressively promoting is to start by offering high quality enter- and market segments with substantial our streaming businesses, and this is a key tainment experiences that are value for structural growth opportunities. NENT reason why we now not only have leader- money. Great content drives engage- Group is a unique play on the ship positions in the streaming market, ment, loyalty and satisfaction, which pro- Nordic streaming and content markets, but also have higher online market shares vides us with pricing and buying power. while MTG is a unique play on esports and than offline. NENT Group is the home of This enables us to reinvest further into our online gaming. Although MTG and NENT sports in the Nordic region and we have products and we have also made signifi- Group will now follow separate paths, we over the past years increased our invest- cant progress in identifying and leverag- still share a common heritage and ments into original content to further dif- ing our broad consumer insight, in order approach, a focus on consumer insight ferentiate and strengthen our position in to make our products even more relevant and relevant innovation, and a commit- this highly competitive but fast-growing for our customers. Another cornerstone ment to bring the best possible entertain- market. of our strategy is our people. We have over ment experiences to our customers. On Our investments into esports and the past years transformed our skillset to behalf of everyone at MTG, we wish online gaming are further evidence of our match the needs that our new reality everyone at NENT every continued suc- ability to adapt to changing consumer requires, and our employees are willing to cess. Thank you for the last 31 years behaviours. We are today the world’s make that extra effort to make the com- together – from the launch of TV3 as the leading esports company due to our pany successful. We think faster, learn first commercial TV channel in the investments in ESL and DreamHack, quicker and execute more accurately than Nordics in 1987 to the amazing streaming which offer best-in-class national and ever before. A clear vision and a shared experience of Viaplay today. We have international events, leagues and festi- purpose have been fundamental to the constantly challenged convention, the vals. Esports is today one of the most successful transformation of MTG from a industry and ourselves, and we have viewed and fastest growing sports, and traditional broadcaster into a digital made lifelong friends along the way. ESL and DreamHack are already global entertainer, while growing both sales and Goodbye for now and good luck to all. brands and preferred choices for viewers, profits. Our shared purpose is to create players, partners and publishers. This is responsible and sustainable entertain- why we have extended our partnership ment, which is why we have identified with Intel and Mercedes-Benz, and signed strategic priorities based on media Jørgen Madsen Lindemann new deals with the likes of Vodafone, responsibility, social impact, business President & Chief Executive Officer Annual Report 2018 Annual Report 2018 The split When one became two | MTG and Nordic Entertainment Group began a journey of splitting into separate listed companies On 23 March 2018, the MTG Board of Directors companies with clear offerings and investment pro- announced that it had decided to initiate a process to files, and with the ambition to increase the long-term split MTG into two companies – Modern Times Group value for MTG’s shareholders.