Digital subscription results of AS Ekspress Grupp in the second quarter of 2025

The number of digital subscriptions of AS Ekspress Grupp increased by 10% in the Baltic States year-over-year (2^nd quarter: 4%, 1^st six months: 3%) and totalled 244 884 at the end of June.

• The number of digital subscriptions of AS Delfi Meedia that publishes the news portal Delfi, newspapers Eesti Päevaleht, Maaleht, Eesti Ekspress and several popular magazines increased by 12% year-over-year (2^nd quarter: 6%, 1^st six months: 5%) and totalled 119 811.
• The number of digital subscriptions of AS Õhtuleht Kirjastus, 50% of which is owned by Ekspress Grupp, decreased by -10% year-over-year (2^nd quarter: 2%, 1^st six months: -3%) and totalled 24 460.
• The number of digital subscriptions of Geenius Meedia OÜ decreased by -1% year-over-year (2^nd quarter: 2%, 1^st six months: 0%) and totalled 7388.
• In Latvia, the number of digital subscriptions of Delfi A/S increased by 23% year-over-year (2^nd quarter: 3%, 1^st six months: -4%) and totalled 33 840.
• In Lithuania, the number of digital subscriptions of Delfi increased by 11% (2^nd quarter: 1%, 1^st six months: 8%) and totalled 47 758.
• The number of digital subscriptions of the Lithuanian media portal Lrytas increased by 13% (2^nd quarter: -3%, 1^st six months: -1%) and totalled 11 627.

Comments by the Chairman of the Management Board of Ekspress Grupp, Mari-Liis Rüütsalu:

 "The number of digital subscriptions of AS Ekspress Grupp’s periodicals increased by 10% year-over-year and reached more than 244,000 subscriptions by the end of the quarter. This is a good result considering the ongoing difficult circumstances in the Baltic economies. The 4% growth in the 2^nd quarter is especially positive, showing a recovery after 1^st quarter’s stagnation.

The year-over-year growth in the Latvian and Lithuanian markets, where the popularity of digital subscriptions continues to grow, was strong. In a year, digital subscriptions increased by 23% in Latvia and 11% in Lithuania. Delfi Meedia, the group's largest media company, has also shown a stable 12% growth rate in the Estonian market.

The number of the subscriptions of Õhtuleht Kirjastus deceased by 10% year-over-year, however, it increased by 2% in the last quarter. The year-over-year decrease is largely attributable to a change in the cooperation model of one of our business customers, which impacted the 1^st quarter’s results. There were no such one-off factors in the 2^nd quarter, and we are witnessing a growth trend again. The 2% growth of Geenius Meedia in the last quarter also gives us hope that the positive trend will continue.

We will continue to work consistently to increase the number of digital subscribers in all markets. The Baltic digital subscriptions market continues to have room for growth, especially in Latvia and Lithuania. We are still on track towards our long-term goal of providing digital paid content to at least 340,000 subscribers in the Baltic States by the end of 2026."

Detailed overview of digital subscriptions

The Group considers only the subscriptions with the value of more than 1 euro per calendar month that are separately invoiced and separately cancellable at any given time as digital subscriptions.

Digital subscription revenue makes up an increasingly larger share of the digital revenue base of Ekspress Grupp. We are moving in the direction of the Group's long-term goals of increasing the volume of digital subscriptions to 340 000 subscribers in the Baltic countries by the end of 2026. The of Ekspress Grupp were established and disclosed at the beginning of 2022.  

Additional information

Lili Kirikal

CFO of the Group

 

AS Ekspress Grupp is the leading Baltic media group whose key activities include web media content production, and publishing of newspapers, magazines and books. The Group also operates an electronic ticket sales platform and ticket sales offices in Latvia and Estonia, offers digital outdoor screen service in Estonia and Latvia. In addition, the Group companies organize conferences, trainings and events mainly in Estonia and Lithuania but also in Latvia. Ekspress Grupp launched its operations in 1989 and employs about 1000 people.