Transmit Entertainment Limited (“Transmit Entertainment” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”; stock code: 1326) today announced its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 31 December 2021 (the “Review Period”).
During the Review Period, the Group further advanced the “Stay-at-Home Economy” and its development strategy of brand diversification. Mainland China continued to be the major source of the Group’s revenue and business growth. The Group’s proportion of revenue from Mainland China recorded a year-on-year increase of 17.7 percentage points to approximately 96.8%. The Group recorded outstanding results during the Review Period, amounting to approximately HK$587.2 million, representing an increase of approximately 265.2% as compared to the corresponding period last year. The Group’s turnaround was mainly due to the airing of “The Ideal City”, an inspiring urban workplace TV series and “The Detectives’ Adventures”, a megahit mystery solving reality show, which drove a significant year-on-year revenue growth of approximately 1,296.4% to approximately HK$502.2 million for the film, TV series and variety show production and distribution segment; and the Group completed the disposal of partial equity interests in the film exhibition business in May 2021, which reduced both the sales and distribution expenses of the related film exhibition business. During the Review Period, the Group recorded the profit attributable to the owners of the Company of approximately HK$10.6 million.
Business Review
Keeping up with the development of the industry and the entertainment tastes of young viewers, the Group has continued to focus on developing and producing contents of outstanding film, TV series and variety show, while actively exploring innovative business models such as web series, online movies and short videos. “The Ideal City” aired on the video website iQIYI and numerous first-tier TV stations across the country, ranking first in the CSM63 TV series viewership ranking, as well as receiving more than ten industry honors and awards including being shortlisted for the 2018-2022 List of Key TV Series Planning and Theme of the National Radio and Television Administration, and was recognized as the “2021 Outstanding Show Broadcasting Overseas” by the National Radio and Television Administration. “The Detectives’ Adventures” creatively reinterprets a classic film and television copyright through live action role playing, introducing a production model for detective-themed variety show that appeals to audiences of all ages, successfully gaining multiple industry awards, including the 2021 Internet Viewing + Ranking Internet Varity Show of the Year and the Innovative Variety Show of the Year of the Sixth New Recreation . New Consumption etc. On the other hand, the scriptwriting team of the Group participated in popular TV shows such as the Lantern Festival Gala of the China Media Group and the variety show “Super Sketch Show”, continuously spurring related discussions and becoming a trending topic in multiple platforms.
Considering that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a challenging business environment for the film exhibition business, the Group disposed partial equity interests in the film exhibition business to reallocate financial resources to other businesses with higher development potential, thereby generating more returns for shareholders of the Company (the “Shareholders”). The disposal transaction was completed on 26 May 2021. Thereafter, in accordance with a management agreement and a supplemental agreement entered by the Group with Cinema City (WL) Limited and Mandarin Motion Pictures Limited, the Group earns fees for the operation of Langham Place Cinema during the term of the agreements. The management believes that the above-mentioned strategic measures will proactively pose a positive impact on the Group’s future results and financial performance.
The Group continued to improve its industry chain and broaden its revenue base, and its artistes and internet celebrities continued to be more influential in market segments. During the Review Period, the Group’s artistes starred in many TV series and movies, and participated in many endorsement activities. Among which, Yang Chaoyue starred in two costume TV dramas “Chongzi” and “The Seventh Generation”, and Li Yitong starred in TV series such as “Warm Cold Nights In The Nine Heavens”, “Spy Game” and “Punch Out”.
Outlook
Looking forward, the Group will continue to focus on the development of film and TV series production business as well as artiste and internet celebrity agency business in Mainland China, and strives to create a pan entertainment ecosystem and integrate upstream and downstream industry chains, while proactively expanding various realization channels from the downstream industry chains in a bid to attain the strategic deployment of fusing its strengths and resources. Taking advantages of the ample resources of online platforms, the Group will continue to focus on producing quality film and TV series content, while actively diversify the revenue base by continuously identifying business opportunities in relation to the “Stay-at-Home economy” on four aspects including online stream, short videos, internet celebrity cultivation and traffic monetization.
The Group is currently producing a number of projects, including an urban mystery TV series “Frozen Surface” and the third season of variety show “I Love You, Me Too”. With the good viewing performance and online popularity of the work, the Group plans to create a self-developed multi-season variety show brand by producing the third season of “I Love You, Me Too” and the second season of “The Detectives’ Adventures”. In addition, the Group will develop and produce films and TV series on a number of popular copyrighted works of fiction including “Love Destiny”, “Wishful Egg”, “Romance in the City”, “Peach Blossom Debt”, “Queen of the Sea” and “Locard’s Theory”.
Ms. Zhao Wen Zhu, President and Executive Director of Transmit Entertainment, said, “Although the industry was still plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic and the market sentiment, the Group realized a turnaround during the Review Period, benefited from tapping the ‘Stay-at-Home Economy’ and brand diversification development strategies. Significant growth from the segment of TV series and variety shows production fully demonstrated the outstanding competitiveness of our production team, which helps the Group proactively seize enormous business opportunities in the China market and continue to drive business growth. Transmit Entertainment will further utilize its whole industry chain capabilities to continuously enhance its profitability and extend our competitive edges in the industry, and generate sustainable and satisfactory returns to our shareholders.”
About Transmit Entertainment Limited (stock code: 1326)
Transmit Entertainment Limited is a fully-integrated media and entertainment company that empowers the consumer industry. It principally engages in (i) film, TV series and variety show production and distribution; (ii) film exhibition; and (iii) pan-entertainment (including internet celebrities and artiste agency, and pan-entertainment businesses along the value chain). The Group strives to implement the development strategy in relation to the stay-at-home economy and brand diversity through combining resources of scriptwriting, direction and celebrity to cultivate, explore and create popular films and television copyrights by continuously offering quality content and nurturing talented artistes in order to develop its self-owned full industry chain model and construct a unique soft-power moat.
Taking advantages of online platforms to cultivate new artistes and celebrities, the Group proactively explores and develops self-owned retail brand targeting young consumers to further diversify the revenue base by identifying business opportunities in relation to the stay-at-home economy on four aspects, including online stream, short videos, celebrity cultivation and traffic monetization, which eventually forms a business model with the Group being the center supported by film, television and variety show. The Group also expands its business through partnership and enriches its industry chain with self-developed products, forming an integrated upstream and downstream industry chain to fully seize the new opportunities arising from the pan-entertainment business.