Results for digital subscriptions of AS Ekspress Grupp in Q1 2021

The number of digital subscriptions of the largest Baltic media group, AS Ekspress Grupp increased by 16% across all Baltic States in the 1^st quarter of 2021 (74% year-over-year) and totalled 94 639 at the end of March.

• The number of digital subscriptions of AS Ekspress Meedia that publishes the news portal Delfi, newspapers Eesti Päevaleht, Maaleht, Eesti Ekspress and several popular magazines increased by 19% in the 1^st quarter and 65% year-over-year, totalling 59 183.

• The number of digital subscriptions of AS Õhtuleht, 50% of which is owned by Ekspress Grupp, increased by 9% in the 1^st quarter and 30% year-over-year, totalling 15 005.

• The market share of Ekspress Grupp in the digital subscriptions of all Estonian media outlets (according to the data by the Estonian Association of Media Enterprises) was 49% at the end of March.

• In Latvia, the number of digital subscriptions of Ekspress Grupp decreased by 5% in 1^st quarter but doubled year-over-year, reaching 10 559 at the end of the 1^st quarter. In Lithuania, the number of digital subscriptions totalled 9 892 at the end of the 1^st quarter, increasing by 50% in a quarter and almost 6 times year-over-year. Both in Latvia and Lithuania, digital subscriptions are not as widespread as in Estonia with Ekspress Grupp launching them in the market in 2019.

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

“The year 2021 is off to a good start in the market of digital subscriptions. Readers’ interest in high-quality content has increased, as evidenced by the increasing number of digital subscriptions.

We have stayed ahead of our competitors while competition in digital subscriptions becomes more active. In the Baltics, Delfi holds a leadership position with its bundle package that provides access to a great number of media outlets run by Ekspress Meedia in Estonia.

The decline in the number of subscriptions in Latvia in the 1^st quarter is attributable to the restructuring of customer accounts under which the customers who previously had two different subscriptions were moved to a more extensive subscription bundle of Delfi + that includes several products.

The number of digital subscriptions in Lithuania increased by 50% as compared to the previous quarter and Lithuania continues to be a market showing faster growth.

Ekspress Grupp has set the growth of digital subscriptions as one of its most important goals, as it provides the Group's media outlets with a differentiated and increasingly stronger digital revenue base.”

Detailed overview of digital subscriptions

	31.03.2021	31.12.2020	change	31.03.2020	change
AS Ekspress Meedia	59 183	49 696	19%	35 936	65%
AS Õhtuleht Kirjastus	15 005	13 820	9%	11 506	30%
Delfi AS (Latvia)	10 559	11 143	-5%	5 271	100%
Delfi UAB (Lithuania)	9 892	6 595	50%	1 565	532%
Total Ekspress Grupp	94 639	81 254	16%	54 278	74%
Total market (Estonia)	149 980	126 601	18%	91 865	63%

Signe Kukin
CFO of the Group
AS Ekspress Grupp
Telephone: +372 669 8381
E-mail address: signe.kukin@egrupp.ee

AS Ekspress Grupp is the leading media group in the Baltic States whose key activities include web media content production, publishing of newspapers and magazines and provision of printing services in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Ekspress Grupp that launched its operations in 1989 employs almost 1600 people, owns leading web media portals in the Baltic States and publishes the most popular daily and weekly newspapers as well as the majority of the most popular magazines in Estonia.