Nine Entertainment shares jump on major acquisition and strategic shift

Shares in Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC) have jumped more than 3% after the company announced a transformational $850 million acquisition and the sale of its broadcast radio assets.

It’s a welcome turnaround for the company’s shares, which closed on Thursday at $1.09, not far off their 12-month low of $1.07, and well below the high for the same period of $1.90. They were changing hands for $1.12, up 3.4% on Friday morning.

Major foray into outdoor

One of the key pillars of the restructure announced on Friday was the $850 million acquisition of digital outdoor media platform QMS Media from Quadrant Private Equity.

Nine said the deal would be funded by existing debt facilities and cash reserves and would be completed by the end of June.

The company said further:

QMS is a leading digital outdoor media platform with operations in Australia and New Zealand. With a footprint concentrated in metro areas, QMS adds a digitally focused and growing media platform that complements Nine’s existing media assets, whilst also benefiting from being part of the broader Nine Group.

Nine said the outdoor advertising category had been growing by about 9% annually over the past decade, “expanding its share of the Australian advertising market from 10% to 18% over that period”.

Nine added:

Outdoor is expected to remain resilient to the impact of the global digital platforms and the impact of AI, both of which represent challenges to other segments of the media marketplace.

QMS was expected to generate about $105 million in EBITDA in calendar year 2026, which would be a double-digit increase over the previous year, Nine said.

The merger was also expected to deliver about $20 million in annual cost savings by FY29, “driven by the consolidation of back-office functions, technology infrastructure, procurement efficiencies and the switching of marketing spend into QMS”.

Legacy radio to be sold

On the radio front, Nine said it would sell its broadcast assets, including 2GB and 3AW, to the Laundy Family Office for $56 million.

Despite selling its broadcast assets, Nine said it would retain a “growing presence” in the digital audio market, “leveraging the group’s video production and distribution capabilities, through podcasts, text-to-audio and vodcast (the convergence of digital audio and video)”.

The result of the restructures announced on Friday would be that digital growth businesses were expected to account for more than 60% of revenue from FY27, compared with about 45% in FY25.

Nine Chief Executive Officer Matt Stanton said:

Today’s announcements mark a critical milestone in our Nine2028 transformation. These transactions will create a more efficient, higher-growth, and digitally powered Nine group for our consumers, advertisers, shareholders and people. This positions Nine well for the future, enabling the group to withstand industry disruption and deliver long-term sustainable value to our shareholders.

Nine was valued at $1.72 billion at the close of trade on Thursday.

The post Nine Entertainment shares jump on major acquisition and strategic shift appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nine Entertainment. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.