PRESS RELEASE

CTS EVENTIM enters Russian Live Entertainment market with acquisition of Talent Concert International

• Majority stake in one of Russia's leading tour and concert promoters
• Founding duo will continue to manage TCI's business and retain a stake in the company
• EVENTIM LIVE now represented in twelve countries

Munich/Moscow, 1 October 2019. CTS EVENTIM, a leading international provider of ticketing and live entertainment, has acquired 51 percent of the shares in the Russian tour and concert promoter Talent Concert International (TCI). TCI becomes part of the promoter network EVENTIM LIVE, which thus now also has a presence in the Russian market. The transaction will be completed in the next few days. CTS EVENTIM has owned the ticketing provider parter.ru in Russia since 2006.

Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, CEO of CTS EVENTIM, commented: "TCI complements our portfolio perfectly. The Russian market is very important to a growing number of internationally popular artists - and few companies bring as many acts from abroad to Russia as TCI. I am sure that our new colleagues will greatly enrich the work of our EVENTIM LIVE network of promoters."

TCI was founded in 1995 by Ed Ratnikov and has since organised live performances by Blur, Nick Cave, Deep Purple, Kraftwerk, Limp Bizkit, Motörhead, Rihanna, the Scorpions and Robbie Williams, among others, in its home market. This year's highlights include Jennifer Lopez, Rammstein and Whitesnake. TCI doesn't limit itself to events in the country's two largest cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, but is also regularly responsible for shows in Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Novosibirsk and Vladivostok.

Ed Ratnikov (President) and Nikolay Sinitsyn (Finance Director) will continue to serve as TCI's senior management. Together, they also hold the remaining 49 percent of shares in the company.

Ed Ratnikov, CEO of TCI, added: "CTS EVENTIM is the best possible partner for continuing TCI's growth story long-term. Becoming part of a global player opens up additional opportunities for us and the entire Russian market. And last but not least, it is a great honour for us to join the EVENTIM LIVE network of promoters. We look forward to expanding our new partner's portfolio with exciting shows, and its geographic reach all the way to the Pacific."

In early March of this year, CTS EVENTIM had pooled its promoter activities in the new EVENTIM LIVE unit. The network now comprises 28 promoters, who together organise more than 30 festivals and some 5,000 live events each year, with ten million visitors in twelve countries. By founding EVENTIM LIVE, the company responded to the needs of a growing number of artists who increasingly expect their tour operators to offer cross-border touring options and one-stop shop solutions.

Dr Frithjof Pils, Managing Director of EVENTIM LIVE, added: "Firstly, the acquisition of TCI strengthens our market position in Europe. Secondly, it gives us access to the many exciting acts that have long relied on the services of Ed Ratnikov and his team in Russia. And thirdly, our other promoters now have a hassles-free way to offer their artists the option of performing in Russia."
 

About CTS EVENTIM
CTS EVENTIM is one of the leading international providers of Ticketing and Live Entertainment. In 2018, approx. 250 million tickets were marketed using the company's systems - through stationary box offices, online or mobile. Its online portals operate under brands such as eventim.de, oeticket.com, ticketcorner.ch, ticketone.it, and entradas.com. The EVENTIM Group also includes many concert, tour and festival promoter companies for events like 'Rock am Ring', 'Rock im Park', 'Hurricane', 'Southside', and 'Lucca Summer'. In addition, some of Europe's most renowned venues are operated by CTS EVENTIM, for example the LANXESS arena in Cologne, the Waldbühne in Berlin and the EVENTIM Apollo in London. CTS EVENTIM AG & Co. KGaA (ISIN DE 0005470306) has been listed on the stock exchange since 2000 and is currently a member of the MDAX segment. In 2018, its 3,141-strong workforce generated more than 1.2 billion Euros in revenue in 21 countries.

For further information, contact:

CTS EVENTIM
Corporate Communications:
Christian Steinhof
Head of Corporate Communications
Tel.: +49.40.380788.7299
[email protected]

Investor Relations:
Marco Haeckermann
Vice President Corporate Development & Strategy
Tel.: +49.421.3666.270
[email protected]

Talent Concert International:

Anastasia Kruglikova
PR Manager
[email protected]