Entertainment One’s (eOne) year-end trading update indicates financial performance in line with expectations, with the groundwork in place for good progress across both Family & Brands and Film, Television & Music. The benefits of the transition towards production in film are clear, with better margin potential, a reduced risk profile and stronger free cash flow. Our EBITDA and EPS forecasts are unchanged and we have introduced numbers for FY21e, showing continuing progress. The intense competition between new and competing SVOD providers is driving a very healthy appetite for high-quality entertainment content.
Entertainment One |
Good year all round |
Trading update |
Media |
4 April 2019 |
Share price performance
Business description
Next events
Analysts
Entertainment OneEntertainment One is a research client of Edison Investment Research Limited |
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Entertainment One’s (eOne) year-end trading update indicates financial performance in line with expectations, with the groundwork in place for good progress across both Family & Brands and Film, Television & Music. The benefits of the transition towards production in film are clear, with better margin potential, a reduced risk profile and stronger free cash flow. Our EBITDA and EPS forecasts are unchanged and we have introduced numbers for FY21e, showing continuing progress. The intense competition between new and competing SVOD providers is driving a very healthy appetite for high-quality entertainment content.
Year |
Revenue |
EBITDA |
PBT |
EPS |
DPS |
P/E |
Yield |
03/17 |
1,083 |
160.2 |
129.9 |
20.0 |
1.3 |
22.2 |
0.3 |
03/18 |
1,045 |
177.3 |
144.4 |
21.9 |
1.4 |
20.3 |
0.3 |
03/19e |
1,070 |
195.0 |
159.5 |
24.5 |
1.5 |
18.1 |
0.3 |
03/20e |
1,195 |
215.0 |
183.0 |
27.9 |
1.6 |
15.9 |
0.4 |
03/21e |
1,300 |
236.0 |
200.5 |
30.5 |
1.8 |
14.6 |
0.4 |
Note: *PBT and EPS are normalised, excluding amortisation of acquired intangibles, exceptional items and share-based payments.
Good progress across segments
We are encouraged by the broad spread of contribution towards growth indicated in the update. Peppa Pig helped Family & Brands increase FY19 revenues by over 25%, on (indicated) maintained margin. It is rapidly gaining traction in China, where the film trailer going viral has further boosted awareness. 117 new episodes are in production, bringing the total to 381, and there is a steady programme to drive other opportunities for revenue generation. PJ Masks looks to be following a similar trajectory and has the potential to reach the same scale. The transition to focus on production in Film, Television & Music is now broadly complete, significantly de-risking the business. The momentum in the segment seems to be greater currently in TV than film, which chimes with the market competition between traditional broadcasters, cable networks and digital platforms. Again, this will favour margins and reduce risks. The agreement with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment effectively outsources home entertainment to one provider, making it easier to manage and swapping out fixed cost for performance-based variable cost.
Earnings forecasts unchanged, new FY21e
The trading update indicates results in line with management expectations. We have slightly lowered our revenue numbers, but maintained our EBITDA and EPS numbers supported by better margins. We have also set out our initial thoughts for FY21e, which show 9% uplift in revenue and 10% in EBITDA over the prior year.
Valuation: Well underpinned
Peer share prices have underperformed over recent weeks, reflecting stock-specific issues, bringing back our implied sum-of-the-parts valuation to 440p (vs 495p before), around the current price. eOne’s business model is increasingly robust and the industry context provides a strong backdrop. The library valuation of $2.0bn (end-March 2018) stands at around 75% of the current market valuation.
Content with content
The prelims are scheduled for 21 May and at that point we will revisit our forecasts in more detail. The trading update indicates performance in line with management expectations, so at this stage we would not envision making significant adjustments. We have, however, revised down our FY19 and FY20 forecast revenue numbers in the context of the trading comments (by 6% and 4% respectively), while assuming slightly better margins and therefore leaving our EBITDA numbers unchanged. For FY21e, we have assumed similar patterns in business development to those built into our FY20e numbers, with increasing investment in own content that will underpin future years’ growth. These provisional numbers show 9% top-line progress and a slight improvement in margin, lifting EBITDA growth to 10%.
Highlights from the statement include the following:
■
Net debt at approximately 1.8x EBITDA. This is in line with our model.
Family & Brands:
■
Reported revenue up over 25%, underlying EBITDA up by around the same amount.
Within Family & Brands:
■
Peppa Pig contributed 57% of segmental revenue, PJ Masks 37%.
■
China revenues up over 50% as Peppa Pig SVOD sales build and licensing/merchandising revenues start to come in.
■
Ricky Zoom to launch in China in spring/summer 2019, with global broadcast launch in autumn/winter 2019 and toy launch with TOMY expected in spring/summer 2020.
Film, Television & Music:
■
Greater emphasis on TV, with over 1,000 half-hours of produced/acquired content delivered in FY19, up over 20% on prior year.
■
Greater selectivity in Film, leading to a 44% improvement in average box office revenue per release on broadly flat total box office revenues.
■
Music revenues up 25%, underlying EBITDA growth of over 20%. The market transition to streaming has provided a strong tailwind.
Keeping up Peppa’s momentum
There is no sign of the market wearying with Peppa Pig and the number of live licensing and merchandising contracts continues to increase – up to 1,600 globally (FY18: 1,500). The objective is to increase the number of touchpoints between the property and its audience, whether that be by watching episodes, buying licensed merchandise, playing branded games or experiential. Merlin Entertainments has opened indoor play centres in Shanghai and Dallas, with plans for four more, which allow children to play in scaled-up replica room sets and interact with costumed staff. This obviously can be rolled out at a far lower capital cost than theme parks. eOne would typically receive a fee plus percentage of door and merchandise sales. Master toy partner, Alpha, has launched the first tranche of product in China and will then look to increase the range.
There is obviously the potential for PJ Masks to follow a similar roll-out. It has already climbed to the top three pre-school properties in the US and the top four in the UK, with season three set to air on Disney in North America this month and then in other territories through the calendar year. Season four has been green-lit.
Film, TV & Music content to the fore
The emphasis on owned content puts eOne in greater control of its financial outcomes, particularly in film. With film increasingly following the TV model, pre-selling titles into the market, then accessing production finance and available tax breaks, the free cash flow characteristics are particularly improved. This aspect is also buoyed by the shift from distribution to production as promotion and advertising costs are borne by the distributor and these can be substantial.
The appointment of Universal Pictures for Australia and WW Entertainment in Benelux as sub-distributors, as well as Universal Pictures Home Entertainment to handle all the home entertainment elements (including digital), underlines the management intention to focus down on a smaller and more profitable film operation. Film releases in FY20/21 are set to include Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Queen and Slim, and Sovereign, starring Mahershala Ali.
In TV, The Rookie performed very strongly on ABC and has been recommissioned, while Grey’s Anatomy is now the longest-running US medical drama. New commissions for FY20e include Run (Vicky Jones and Phoebe Waller-Bridge) for HBO and a pilot of Deputy, to star Stephen Dorff.
Valuation
As previously, we have separated out the Film & TV and Family & Brands valuations for our peer-based SOTP valuation. This shows a valuation of £4.40 based on FY20e, around the current market price and a decrease of 11% from our £4.95 indication at the time of our last note in November. This reflects a couple of factors:
■
Falls in the share prices of comparators, reducing the applied FY20e multiple. When this exercise was carried out in November, Family stocks were on 14.9x FY20e EV/EBITDA (now 12.6x), while Film & TV multiples have reduced from 12.1x to 11.4x.
■
A shift in forecast mix as EBITDA margins in Film & TV move ahead.
Exhibit 1: Peer multiple SOTP valuation
£m |
2019e |
2020e |
Film & TV - EBITDA |
103 |
115 |
Family & Brands - EBITDA |
104 |
114 |
Group costs and depreciation |
(17) |
(19) |
Applied multiples: |
||
Film & TV multiple |
12.8 |
11.4 |
Family & Brands multiple |
13.3 |
12.6 |
Average |
12.9 |
12.0 |
Implied EV: |
||
Film & TV |
1,281 |
1,219 |
Family & Brands |
1,385 |
1,425 |
Group costs |
(218) |
(219) |
Total EV |
2,448 |
2,424 |
Minorities |
(171) |
(170) |
Net debt |
346 |
278 |
Group equity value |
1,931 |
1,976 |
Shares in issue |
463.9 |
469.4 |
Implied value per share (£) |
4.23 |
4.40 |
Implied value if production finance is treated as debt (£) |
3.98 |
4.15 |
Source: Edison Investment Research
Exhibit 2: Financial summary
£m |
2017 |
2018 |
2019e |
2020e |
2021e |
||
Year end 31 March |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
||
PROFIT & LOSS |
|||||||
Revenue |
1,082.7 |
1,044.5 |
1,070.0 |
1,195.0 |
1,300.0 |
||
Cost of Sales |
(822.9) |
(793.8) |
(813.2) |
(908.2) |
(988.0) |
||
Gross Profit |
259.8 |
250.7 |
256.8 |
286.8 |
312.0 |
||
EBITDA |
160.2 |
177.3 |
195.0 |
215.0 |
236.0 |
||
Operating Profit (before amort. and except.) |
155.3 |
173.7 |
190.5 |
210.0 |
230.5 |
||
Amortisation of intangibles |
(41.9) |
(39.6) |
(37.0) |
(37.0) |
(37.0) |
||
Exceptional items |
(40.8) |
(7.1) |
(7.0) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Share based payment charge |
(5.0) |
(12.6) |
(13.5) |
(14.0) |
(14.0) |
||
JV tax, finance costs, dep'n |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Operating Profit |
67.6 |
114.4 |
133.0 |
159.0 |
179.5 |
||
Net Interest |
(25.4) |
(29.3) |
(31.0) |
(27.0) |
(30.0) |
||
Exceptional finance items |
(6.3) |
(7.5) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Profit Before Tax (norm) |
129.9 |
144.4 |
159.5 |
183.0 |
200.5 |
||
Profit Before Tax (FRS 3) |
35.9 |
77.6 |
102.0 |
132.0 |
149.5 |
||
Tax (reported) |
(12.3) |
0.6 |
(23.5) |
(30.4) |
(34.4) |
||
Tax (adjustment for normalised earnings) |
|
(14.8) |
(28.5) |
(7.6) |
(5.3) |
(4.7) |
|
Profit After Tax (before non-controlling interests) (norm) |
102.8 |
116.5 |
128.4 |
147.3 |
161.4 |
||
Profit After Tax (before non-controlling interests) (FRS3) |
23.6 |
78.2 |
78.5 |
101.6 |
115.1 |
||
Non-controlling interests |
(11.9) |
(13.7) |
(10.5) |
(11.5) |
(11.5) |
||
Average Number of Shares Outstanding (m) |
432.7 |
447.6 |
480.9 |
486.3 |
491.5 |
||
EPS - normalised (p) |
20.0 |
21.9 |
24.5 |
27.9 |
30.5 |
||
EPS - FRS 3 (p) |
2.7 |
14.8 |
14.7 |
19.2 |
21.8 |
||
Dividend per share (p) |
1.3 |
1.4 |
1.5 |
1.6 |
1.8 |
||
Gross Margin (%) |
24.0 |
24.0 |
24.0 |
24.0 |
24.0 |
||
EBITDA Margin (%) |
14.8 |
17.0 |
18.2 |
18.0 |
18.2 |
||
Operating Margin (before GW and except) (%) |
14.3 |
16.6 |
17.8 |
17.6 |
17.7 |
||
BALANCE SHEET |
|||||||
Non-current Assets |
972.7 |
936.9 |
942.5 |
969.3 |
955.3 |
||
Intangible Assets (incl Investment in programmes) |
870.6 |
805.4 |
821.0 |
859.3 |
857.3 |
||
Tangible Assets |
72.8 |
104.3 |
104.8 |
104.8 |
104.3 |
||
Deferred tax/Investments |
29.3 |
27.2 |
16.7 |
5.2 |
(6.3) |
||
Current Assets |
928.3 |
899.1 |
914.1 |
920.6 |
961.6 |
||
Stocks |
48.6 |
39.6 |
39.6 |
39.6 |
39.6 |
||
Investment in content rights |
269.8 |
253.4 |
252.6 |
244.1 |
244.1 |
||
Debtors |
476.5 |
486.9 |
546.9 |
586.9 |
626.9 |
||
Cash |
133.4 |
119.2 |
75.0 |
50.0 |
51.0 |
||
Current Liabilities |
(679.4) |
(691.5) |
(696.8) |
(706.8) |
(716.8) |
||
Creditors |
(574.6) |
(514.7) |
(520.0) |
(530.0) |
(540.0) |
||
Short term borrowings |
(104.8) |
(176.8) |
(176.8) |
(176.8) |
(176.8) |
||
Long Term Liabilities |
(464.6) |
(438.7) |
(396.4) |
(331.4) |
(247.0) |
||
Long term borrowings |
(368.3) |
(375.6) |
(333.3) |
(268.3) |
(183.9) |
||
Other long term liabilities |
(96.3) |
(63.1) |
(63.1) |
(63.1) |
(63.1) |
||
Net Assets |
757.0 |
705.8 |
763.3 |
851.7 |
953.0 |
||
CASH FLOW |
|||||||
Operating Cash Flow |
425.3 |
470.9 |
574.7 |
698.1 |
781.0 |
||
Net Interest |
(24.3) |
(26.2) |
(31.0) |
(27.0) |
(30.0) |
||
Tax |
(18.4) |
(32.5) |
(28.1) |
(30.4) |
(34.4) |
||
Capex |
(3.5) |
(3.2) |
(5.0) |
(5.0) |
(4.0) |
||
Acquisitions/disposals |
(9.6) |
(118.5) |
(5.0) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Investment in content rights and TV programmes |
(373.6) |
(437.4) |
(483.5) |
(580.0) |
(610.0) |
||
Proceeds on issue of shares |
(19.2) |
52.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Dividends |
(8.3) |
(13.0) |
(14.3) |
(15.7) |
(17.3) |
||
Net Cash Flow |
(31.7) |
(107.9) |
7.8 |
40.1 |
85.3 |
||
Opening net debt/(cash) |
299.7 |
339.7 |
433.2 |
435.2 |
395.1 |
||
Movements in exchangeable notes |
0.0 |
14.5 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Other including forex |
(8.3) |
(0.1) |
(9.7) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Closing IFRS debt/(cash) |
339.7 |
433.2 |
435.2 |
395.1 |
309.8 |
||
ANALYSIS OF NET DEBT |
|||||||
Production finance |
152.3 |
118.7 |
89.6 |
116.9 |
101.3 |
||
Net debt |
187.4 |
314.5 |
345.6 |
278.2 |
208.5 |
||
Source: Company accounts, Edison Investment Research
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