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DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG

ots Ad hoc-Service: Dt. Entertainment AG <DE0005513907> DEAG Europe\047s largest live entertainment provider with half a billion revenues after take-over of the profitable assets of Stella

Berlin (ots Ad hoc-Service) -

The sender is solely responsible for the contents of this
announcement.
Within the scope of an asset deal over DM 40 million DEAG has
acquired the profitable parts of the Stella business, free of old
liabilities, including production facilities worth several million
DM. The following productions have been taken over: Cats, The Phantom
of the Opera, Disney's The Beauty and the Beast, Starlight Express,
Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame as well as the complete
production of Dance of the Vampires starting on 31 March 2000.
The provisional insolvency proceedings of Stella AG which had been
pending since 26 November 1999 were concluded last night - subject to
the approval of the creditors' - with the administrator in the
insolvency proceedings deciding in favour of DEAG. DEAG won the deal
against numerous competitors, including the Dutch Stage Holding and
the US live entertainment giant, SFX Entertainment.
Although Stella AG has been back to profitable operations since
October 1999, DEAG will implement a restructuring programme and set a
clearly targeted course based on the following concept:
   - reduction of the musical running times to render the overall
programme more attractive,
   - concentration on four musical-cities with six locations,
   - leases reduced by more than DM 35 million,
   - strengthening of the unique distribution system with its strong
trade partners.
The future focus will be clearly on the musical without - as was
the practice of Stella AG - diverting profits from the core business
to other areas, such as real estate project development.
This asset deal makes DEAG the largest live entertainment provider
on the European continent. At the same time, the DEAG Board of
Management increased its revenue forecast for the year 2000 from DM
250 to DM 510 million. It thus reaches the targets it set for itself
at the IPO three years ahead of schedule. Despite the restructuring
expenditure incurred this year in an amount of around DM 7 million,
the profit forecast is likewise adjusted upward to an EBITDA of DM 33
million and to an EBIT of DM 21 million.
"This asset deal is a sensational and unique opportunity for
DEAG", stresses DEAG CEO Peter Schwenkow. "Together with the existing
concert, variety and venue business of DEAG, we now have, with the
profitable assets of Stella, almost seven million valuable customers.
This takes us to a new dimension of live entertainment. And the
synergies which can be tapped on the costs and earnings side have not
yet been taken into account in our forecasts!"
More details will be disclosed at press and analyst conferences
called at short notice:
 - DVFA Conference, Sheraton-Hotel am Airport, Frankfurt/Main, 9h30
 - Press Conference, Park Hyatt Hotel, Hamburg, 13h00
 - Press Conference, Grand Hyatt-Hotel, Berlin, 17h00
End
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