EL7.AI
StocksMedium•12 November 2026•
4 min read

CTS EVENTIM revenue rises 8.1% to 2.322 billion euros in first 9 months of 2026

Key Facts

1Group revenue rose 8.1% to 2.322 billion euros in the first nine months of 2026, and adjusted earnings increased 6.3% to 359.1 million euros.
2Third-quarter revenue fell 5.3% to 809.1 million euros, and adjusted earnings declined 2.6% to 133.8 million euros.
3Ticketing segment revenue rose 13.1% to 708.7 million euros in the nine months.
4Live entertainment segment revenue increased 5.7% to 1.646 billion euros in the nine months.
5The management board maintained its 2026 financial outlook and said it was optimistic about the remaining months of the year.

CTS EVENTIM increased revenue by 8.1% year on year to 2.322 billion euros in the first nine months of 2026, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose 6.3% to 359.1 million euros, according to a company statement. The adjusted earnings margin was 15.5% for the period. The positive cumulative performance, however, coincided with a contraction in the third quarter, as group revenue and adjusted earnings fell compared with the same period a year earlier. The results reflect different trajectories within the group: growth in ticketing, versus a decline in live entertainment in the third quarter. The management board maintained its 2026 outlook, while expressing optimism about the remaining months of the year.

The ticketing segment recorded revenue of 708.7 million euros in the nine months, up 13.1% from the same period a year earlier. Its adjusted earnings rose 3.0% to 265.5 million euros, with a margin of 37.5%. The company attributed the segment's growth mainly to a change in the pricing mix and higher ticket sales through retail channels. The number of tickets sold through retail channels rose to 123.2 million from 121.3 million in the comparable period. The company said costs from its operational excellence program continued to weigh on earnings, partly explaining why adjusted earnings grew more slowly than revenue.

In live entertainment, nine-month revenue rose 5.7% to 1.646 billion euros, while adjusted earnings increased 17.0% to 93.7 million euros. The adjusted earnings margin was 5.7%, according to CTS EVENTIM's statement. The company said revenue growth stemmed largely from well-attended, high-revenue events and festivals, alongside the inclusion of additional entities in the scope of consolidation. The period's performance shows that improved profitability in the segment outpaced revenue growth, with adjusted earnings rising faster. Quarterly results, however, were more mixed, as group revenue and adjusted earnings declined in the third quarter.

Group revenue in the third quarter was 809.1 million euros, down 5.3% from the same quarter a year earlier, while adjusted earnings fell 2.6% to 133.8 million euros. The adjusted earnings margin was 16.5% during the quarter, compared with 15.5% for the nine months combined. CTS EVENTIM attributed live entertainment's quarterly performance mainly to the timing of tours and major events. It also said the third quarter of 2025 benefited from an international tour that generated particularly high revenue, raising the year-on-year comparison base. The quarterly decline therefore came amid differences in event timing and a strong prior-year comparison, while revenue and adjusted earnings remained higher for the nine-month period.

A comparison with the first half shows group growth slowing as the year progressed. In the first half of 2026, revenue rose 16.9% to 1.513 billion euros, and adjusted earnings increased 12.4% to 225.4 million euros, according to the company statement at the time. CTS EVENTIM said those results had also received some additional earnings support from favorable foreign exchange effects. In 2025, group revenue had risen 9.6% to 3.079 billion euros, while adjusted earnings increased 7.7% to 584 million euros. These results provide context for comparison with 2026, which remained positive over the nine months despite declines in the main indicators in the third quarter.

Despite the third-quarter decline, the management board said it was standing by its published outlook for the 2026 financial year and was optimistic about business in the remaining months of the year. The statement reported no change to the full-year outlook, confirming it would remain in place after the nine-month results. The stance follows cumulative growth in revenue and adjusted earnings, supported by higher revenue in both the ticketing and live entertainment segments during the period. At the same time, the third-quarter results highlighted the effect of event timing and the high-revenue international tour in the comparison year. The company is looking to the remaining months of 2026 under its current outlook.