SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent Music Entertainment Group (“TME,” or the “Company”) (NYSE: TME and HKEX: 1698), the leading online music and audio entertainment platform in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.
Third Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights
Mr. Cussion Pang, Executive Chairman of TME, commented, “Our commitment to high-quality growth is reflected in another solid quarterly performance. The steady expansion of our music subscribers and diversified music services continue to drive overall growth and profitability. We are encouraged by the growing synergies between our platform and well-established content ecosystem, which have become a vital force in empowering us to seize new opportunities for long-term, sustainable growth.”
Mr. Ross Liang, CEO of TME, continued, “This quarter’s robust music subscription performance, with better-than-expected net subscriber additions and an expanding ARPPU, highlights the effectiveness of our balanced approach to achieve growth, which is important to drive paying user base expansion in the coming years. By offering enriched and differentiated user privileges, our value proposition for more premium memberships has been well accepted, cultivating greater loyalty on our platform.”
Third Quarter 2024 Operational Highlights
3Q24
3Q23
YoY %
MAUs – online music (million)
576
594
(3.0 %)
Mobile MAUs – social entertainment (million)
90
129
(30.2 %)
Paying users – online music (million)
119.0
103.0
15.5 %
Paying users – social entertainment (million)
7.9
7.8
1.3 %
Monthly ARPPU – online music (RMB)
10.8
10.3
4.9 %
Monthly ARPPU – social entertainment (RMB)
64.8
86.2
(24.8 %)
Dynamic and robust content ecosystem enabled us to diversify our offerings and capitalize on emerging trends swiftly.
Effective operations and expansive privileges led to subscriber base expansion and SVIP adoption, paving a strong foundation for sustained future growth.
Third Quarter 2024 Financial Review
Total revenues increased by 446 million, or 6.8%, to RMB7.02 billion (US$1.0 billion) from RMB6.57 billion in the same period of 2023.
Cost of revenues decreased by 4.8% year-over-year to RMB4.02 billion (US$573 million), mainly due to decreased revenues from social entertainment services that led to less revenue sharing fees, partially offset by increased costs related to offline concerts and music festivals, content costs of royalties and payment channel fees.
Gross margin increased to 42.6% from 35.7% in the same period of 2023, primarily due to strong revenue growth from music subscriptions and advertising services, and the ramp-up of our own content.
Total operating expenses decreased by 3.9% year-over-year to RMB1.22 billion (US$174 million). Operating expenses as a percentage of total revenues decreased to 17.4% from 19.3% in the same period of 2023.
Total operating profit was RMB2.14 billion (US$306 million) in the third quarter of 2024, representing an increase of 50.5% year-over-year.
The effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2024 was 17.7% compared with 12.2% in the same period of 2023. The increase in the effective tax rate was mainly driven by the accrual of withholding income tax of RMB113 million (US$16 million) in the third quarter of 2024.
For the third quarter of 2024, net profit was RMB1.71 billion (US$244 million) and net profit attributable to equity holders of the Company was RMB1.58 billion (US$226 million). Non-IFRS net profit was RMB1.94 billion (US$276 million) and non-IFRS net profit attributable to equity holders of the Company was RMB1.81 billion (US$258 million). Please refer to the section in this press release titled “Non-IFRS Financial Measure” for details.
Basic and diluted earnings per American Depositary Shares (“ADS”) for the third quarter of 2024 were RMB1.02 (US$0.15) and RMB1.01 (US$0.14), respectively; non-IFRS basic and diluted earnings per ADS were RMB1.17 (US$0.17) and RMB1.16 (US$0.16), respectively. The Company had weighted averages of 1.55 billion basic and 1.57 billion diluted ADSs outstanding, respectively. Each ADS represents two of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares.
As of September 30, 2024, the combined balance of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents, term deposits and short-term investments amounted to RMB36.04 billion (US$5.14 billion), compared with RMB35.03 billion as of June 30, 2024.
Share Repurchase Program
Under the US$500 million Share Repurchase Program announced on March 21, 2023, as of September 30, 2024, we had repurchased 42.1 million ADSs in the open market with cash for a total consideration of US$335.5 million.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”)
In the third quarter, we published our inaugural ESG report, detailing our practices and achievements across environmental, social, and governance areas. This report underscores our unwavering commitment to sustainable development and corporate social responsibility.
Additionally, the Tencent Musician Platform was recognized as one of China’s first model cases for its national copyright powerhouse strategy recently, honoring our contributions to music copyright protection and the advancement of the music industry.
Exchange Rate
This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars (“USD”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to USD were made at the rate of RMB7.0176 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on September 30, 2024, in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or USD amounts referred could be converted into USD or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. For analytical presentation, all percentages are calculated using the numbers presented in the financial statements contained in this earnings release.
Non-IFRS Financial Measure
The Company uses non-IFRS net profit for the period, which is a non-IFRS financial measure, in evaluating its operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. TME believes that non-IFRS net profit helps identify underlying trends in the Company’s business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of certain expenses that the Company includes in its profit for the period. TME believes that non-IFRS net profit for the period provides useful information about its results of operations, enhances the overall understanding of its past performance and future prospects and allows for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by its management in its financial and operational decision-making.
Non-IFRS net profit for the period should not be considered in isolation or construed as an alternative to operating profit, net profit for the period or any other measure of performance or as an indicator of its operating performance. Investors are encouraged to review non-IFRS net profit for the period and the reconciliation to its most directly comparable IFRS measure. Non-IFRS net profit for the period presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to the Company’s data. TME encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.
Non-IFRS net profit for the period represents profit for the period excluding amortization of intangible and other assets arising from business acquisitions or combinations, share-based compensation expenses, net losses/gains from investments and related income tax effects.
Please see the “Unaudited Non-IFRS Financial Measure” included in this press release for a full reconciliation of non-IFRS net profit for the period to its net profit for the period.
[1] Non-IFRS net profit and non-IFRS net profit attributable to equity holders of the Company were arrived at after excluding the combined effect of amortization of intangible assets and other assets arising from business acquisitions or combinations, share-based compensation expenses, net losses/gains from investments, and related income tax effects.
[2] Names of artists and bands contained in this press release are sorted according to the following rules: (i) grouped by artists and bands: and (ii)in alphabetical order by full names.
About Tencent Music Entertainment
Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE: TME and HKEX: 1698) is the leading online music and audio entertainment platform in China, operating the country’s highly popular and innovative music apps: QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music and WeSing. TME’s mission is to create endless possibilities with music and technology. TME’s platform comprises online music, online audio, online karaoke, music-centric live streaming and online concert services, enabling music fans to discover, listen, sing, watch, perform and socialize around music. For more information, please visit ir.tencentmusic.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC and the HKEX. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
Investor Relations Contact
Tencent Music Entertainment Group
+86 (755) 8601-3388 ext. 818415
TENCENT MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2023
2024
2023
2024
RMB
RMB
US$
RMB
RMB
US$
Unaudited
Unaudited
Unaudited
Unaudited
Unaudited
Unaudited
(in millions, except per share data)
(in millions, except per share data)
Revenues
Online music services
4,553
5,480
781
12,303
15,911
2,267
Social entertainment services and others
2,016
1,535
219
8,556
5,032
717
6,569
7,015
1,000
20,859
20,943
2,984
Cost of revenues
(4,227)
(4,024)
(573)
(13,705)
(12,171)
(1,734)
Gross profit
2,342
2,991
426
7,154
8,772
1,250
Selling and marketing expenses
(219)
(220)
(31)
(642)
(617)
(88)
General and administrative expenses
(1,049)
(998)
(142)
(3,110)
(2,885)
(411)
Total operating expenses
(1,268)
(1,218)
(174)
(3,752)
(3,502)
(499)
Interest income
273
299
43
775
881
126
Other gains, net
78
72
10
168
150
21
Operating profit
1,425
2,144
306
4,345
6,301
898
Share of net profit of investments accounted
for using equity method
49
29
4
107
65
9
Finance cost
(35)
(97)
(14)
(111)
(153)
(22)
Profit before income tax
1,439
2,076
296
4,341
6,213
885
Income tax expense
(176)
(367)
(52)
(530)
(1,180)
(168)
Profit for the period
1,263
1,709
244
3,811
5,033
717
Attributable to:
Equity holders of the Company
1,168
1,583
226
3,614
