CTS Eventim has cemented its position as Europe’s leading ticketing provider, posting impressive growth figures in its ticketing segment for the first half of 2025. The company reported a substantial 16.1% increase in ticketing revenue, reaching €415.7 million, considerably outpacing the overall company revenue growth of 7.6% during the same period.
The robust performance in ticketing continued into the second quarter, with a 15.4% year-on-year increase despite broader market volatility. This segment has proven to be a vital contributor to CTS Eventim‘s total revenue of €1.294 billion for H1 2025, demonstrating the scalability and strength of the company’s technological platform in an increasingly digital entertainment landscape.
While ticketing flourished, the company’s adjusted EBITDA revealed a more complex picture. The ticketing segment’s adjusted EBITDA rose by 6.6%, but this growth was insufficient to prevent an overall company decline of 0.8% to €200.5 million. This dip resulted primarily from pressures in the live entertainment division and costs associated with recent acquisitions.
The integration of UK’s See Tickets and France Billet has created short-term financial pressures, temporarily constraining earnings growth despite the strong revenue performance. The company’s overall adjusted EBITDA fell by 8.9% in H1 2025, highlighting the financial challenges despite revenue gains. The company continues to invest in enhanced ticketing technologies to maintain its competitive edge in the market. Company executives maintain that these acquisitions will yield considerable synergies in the mid to long-term, supporting future profitability despite the immediate margin compression.
CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg emphasized the enduring competitiveness of the company’s business model, highlighting how ticketing performance reflects their technological capability and successful internationalization strategy. This strength in ticketing stands in stark contrast to challenges observed in the live entertainment segment, which has proven more vulnerable to concert-related cost inflation and market challenges.
The divergence between CTS Eventim’s ticketing success and live entertainment struggles mirrors broader industry trends, with ticketing demonstrating greater stability amid economic uncertainty. The company has begun exploring partnerships with streaming platforms like Spotify and Tidal to help artists promote their ticketed events through platform-specific features. The company is exploring opportunities to help performing artists secure sync deals as an additional revenue stream. Despite these headwinds, management has maintained its 2025 revenue and adjusted EBITDA forecast, expressing confidence that the temporary integration costs will eventually give way to enhanced market position and profitability.
