Digital subscription results of AS Ekspress Grupp for the first quarter of 2025

The total number of digital subscriptions of AS Ekspress Grupp increased by 12% in the Baltic States year-over-year (1^st quarter: -1%) and totalled 236 272 at the end of March.

• 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 10% year-over-year (1^st quarter: -2%) and totalled 112 751.
• The number of digital subscriptions of AS Õhtuleht Kirjastus, 50% of which is owned by Ekspress Grupp, decreased by -9% year-over-year (1^st quarter: -5%) and totalled 24 009.
• The number of digital subscriptions of Geenius Meedia OÜ decreased by -5% year-over-year (1^st quarter: -2%) and totalled 7219.
• In Latvia, the number of digital subscriptions of Delfi A/S increased by 30% year-over-year (1^st quarter: -6%) and totalled 32 918.
• In Lithuania, the number of digital subscriptions of Delfi increased by 17% (1^st quarter: 7%) and totalled 47 341.
• The number of digital subscriptions of the Lithuanian media portal Lrytas increased by 38% (1^st quarter: 3%) and totalled 12 034.

The Chairman of the Management Board of Ekspress Grupp, Mari-Liis Rüütsalu, comments:

“The total number of digital subscriptions of periodicals of Ekspress Grupp increased by 12% in a year, amounting to more than 236 000 subscriptions by the end of the quarter. This is a good result considering the continued economic challenges in the Baltic countries. The small decline in the first quarter (-1%) was expected, mainly due to the impact of year-end campaigns running out.

In the segment of digital subscriptions, the biggest year-on-year growth was recorded in Latvia and Lithuania where the popularity of digital subscriptions is catching up with Estonia, but with a small delay. The number of digital subscriptions increased by 30% in Latvia and 17% in Lithuania. In Estonia the first-quarter results of Delfi Meedia and Õhtuleht were partly affected by the expiry of the contracts of some business customers. Since our customer base has been growing on an annual basis, it is only natural that there may be smaller adjustments and fluctuations in certain periods.

We are focused on expanding the number of digital subscribers in all our markets, especially in Latvia and Lithuania where we continue to see considerable potential. We are on track towards our long-term goal of offering paid digital content to at least 340 000 subscribers in the Baltic countries 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 long-term goals of Ekspress Grupp were established and disclosed at the beginning of 2022.

Lili Kirikal
CFO
AS Ekspress Grupp
E-mail address: lili.kirikal@egrupp.ee

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 Estonia and Latvia. Ekspress Grupp launched its operations in 1989 and employs almost 1100 people.