A good year for NetPlayTV
News on 22 Jun 2009
News on 22 Jun 2009
Clive Jones, the chairman of UK interactive television and internet gambling group NetPlayTV was not exaggerating this week when he described the company’s performance as “coming of age’. With turnover soaring 118 percent to GBP 19.8 million and EBITDA climbing 241 percent to GBP2.4 million, it seems that the company has upped its performance despite the tough economic conditions.
The improvement in EBITDA, which was showing a GBP1.7 million loss in the year 2007, is especially praiseworthy, with much of the credit going to the Supercasino subsidiary, which turned in an 80 percent growth in betting action to GBP 243 million.
Other preliminary results for the year ending 31 December 2008 and the first half 2009 included:
* Group monthly gross bets and skill gaming revenue for May 2009 over GBP39 million.
* Trading for the first quarter of 2009 in line with budget showing an EBITDA figure of GBP455 000.
* Strategic move into B2B branded solutions offering for retail, TV and online partners.
* Acquisitions of: 7 600 mobile quiz subscribers from Rubberduck; Bingos.com; Sky Channel 848; Pitch Gaming database; Two Way Gaming assets and player database and Info-Download assets.
* Successful launch of ‘Daily SuperDraw’ on Channel Five
* Successful launch of ‘Beat the Brain’ on FX channels with Fox International
* Agreement with Virgin Media Television to take over the production and brand licence agreement for Challenge Jackpot.
Clive Jones, Non-Executive Chairman, said: “The business has been transformed during the course of the year into a significantly larger interactive media business.
“The demand for “live” gaming is starting to gather momentum and we are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this major opportunity.”
Martin Higginson, Chief Executive Officer, added: “2009 has seen the investment we have made in 2007/08 start to come to fruition. During 2008, the Group posted its first positive EBITDA* since its transformation from a mobile content business into an interactive TV gaming business.
Higginson also announced that the former CEO of acquisition Two Way Gaming, Guy Templer, would take on the responsibility for a new B2B unit which would offer the group’s live interactive games to a range of retail, TV and online clients.
