Highlight Communications AG

What Highlight Communications AG does

Highlight Communications AG is a Swiss-domiciled strategic and financial holding company headquartered in Pratteln (Basel-Landschaft), listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange Prime Standard since 11 May 1999 under ticker HLG. It operates exclusively through wholly-owned subsidiaries in two business segments: Film — anchored by Constantin Film AG (100% owned since a 2009 squeeze-out), a German film production and distribution company with a 40-year catalog spanning theatrical, home video, TV, and digital exploitation; and Sport & Event — comprising TEAM Marketing AG, the exclusive marketing agent for UEFA club competitions under multi-cycle agency agreements (most recently secured for 2027-2033), and Highlight Event AG, which holds exclusive marketing partnerships with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (through 2032) and the European Broadcasting Union (through 2028). A third wholly-owned vehicle, Sport1 Medien GmbH (100% consolidated since 2021, restructured from AG in 2025), operates sports media platforms. As of December 31, 2023, the group carried a market capitalization of approximately EUR 154.4 million and was controlled by majority shareholder Highlight Event and Entertainment AG (52.94%), with free float of 16.88%.

The company makes money through licensing, distribution, and agency economics rather than through proprietary technology or software products. Revenue mechanics include film exploitation rights across cinema, home video (with Paramount as a home-media distribution partner), TV licensing, and digital windows; agency fees and commissions from commercializing UEFA club competition media rights and sponsorships; and event-marketing income from cultural property partnerships (Vienna Philharmonic) and broadcasting union contracts (EBU). Distribution is handled via the operating subsidiaries — primarily direct enterprise sales to broadcasters, sponsors, and platform partners — with no disclosed retail pricing. The go-to-market is relationship- and rights-led, not product-led: growth hinges on winning and renewing a small number of high-value exclusive mandates rather than on customer acquisition at scale.

Group-level strategy in 2024-2025 has been predominantly defensive and structural rather than offensive: multiple leadership rotations at Sport1 Medien, TEAM, and Constantin Film; the 2025 AG-to-GmbH conversion of Sport1 Medien alongside a 'strategic realignment' announcement; and an August 2025 ad-hoc disclosure of intended changes in group structure at the majority-shareholder level. These moves, combined with negative reported net income in 2023 and 2024 (per the supplied financials table, whose scale figures appear corrupted), signal a holding company in transition, reliant on a small set of long-dated exclusive contracts for cash-flow stability rather than on broad-based expansion.

Name

Highlight Communications AG

Legal name

Highlight Communications AG

Website

https://hlcom.ch

Company type

Public

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Swiss-listed holding company (Frankfurt Prime Standard) operating in two segments — Film via Constantin Film AG and Sport & Event via TEAM Marketing (UEFA club competitions) and Highlight Event AG (Vienna Philharmonic, EBU) — monetizing exclusive media rights and agency contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entertainment Holding (Film Production and Sports Marketing)

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Media & Broadcast Sponsorship (In-Game Broadcast, Streaming Sponsorship) (MPAKALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Programming Syndication & Highlights Distribution (MPABAMAG), Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events (MPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Film production
• Film distribution
• Sports marketing
• Event marketing
• Media rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Pratteln

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Film Production and Licensing: Revenue from film production, acquisition, and licensing across cinema, video, TV, and other exploitation windows. Constantin Film AG produces and distributes films including productions like 'The International', 'The Baader Meinhof Complex', and 'The Lives of Others'. Revenue is generated through licensing fees, distribution agreements, and exploitation rights across multiple windows.
2. Sports and Event Marketing: Revenue from sports marketing agency operations (TEAM Marketing AG as UEFA marketing agent) and event marketing (Vienna Philharmonic marketing partnership, EBU partnerships). TEAM Marketing serves as the marketing agent for UEFA club competitions, generating agency fees and commissions.
3. Strategic Holdings Income: As a holding company, revenue includes dividends, management fees, and value creation from subsidiary operations including Constantin Film AG (100% owned), Sport1 Medien AG/GmbH (100% owned), TEAM Holding AG (100% owned), and Highlight Event AG (100% owned).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Highlight Communications AG is an internationally oriented strategic and financial holding company that operates two segments through its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Film segment, led by Constantin Film AG, produces, acquires, and licenses German and international films across cinema, video, TV, and digital exploitation windows. The Sport and Event segment operates TEAM Marketing AG as the exclusive marketing agent for UEFA club competitions and Highlight Event AG for event marketing with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the European Broadcasting Union.

Product overview

Highlight Communications AG is an international strategy and financial holding company with two core operating segments: Film and Sport and Event. The Film segment operates through Constantin Film AG (100% owned), a leading German film production and distribution company. The Sport and Event segment encompasses Team Holding AG (100% owned) for sports marketing agency services, and Highlight Event AG for event marketing, including partnerships with UEFA for club competitions and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, Sport1 Medien GmbH (formerly Sport1 Medien AG, 100% owned since 2021) operates sports media platforms. The company does not offer standalone software products but rather operates through these subsidiary companies in entertainment and media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Production and Distribution (Constantin Film AG) Production, acquisition, and multi-window licensing of German and international films operated by Constantin Film AG across cinema, video, TV, and digital distribution channels; serves broadcasters, streaming platforms, home entertainment distributors, and theatrical exhibitors.
• Sports Marketing Agency Services (TEAM Marketing AG) Exclusive marketing agency services for UEFA club competitions, commercializing media rights and sponsorship packages for European football club competitions including a mandate secured in 2022 covering seasons 2027-2033; serves broadcasters, streaming platforms, and corporate sponsors.
• Event Marketing Services (Highlight Event AG) Event marketing services including exclusive marketing partnership with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (extended through 2032 in 2023) and partnership with the European Broadcasting Union (extended through 2028 in 2024); serves corporate sponsors and cultural-event partners.
• Sports Media Operations (Sport1 Medien GmbH) Sports media platforms and channels operated by Sport1 Medien GmbH (formerly Sport1 Medien AG), delivering sports content across TV and digital to consumers in the German-speaking market; serves advertisers and media agencies via sports content reach.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Broadcasting Union (EBU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The partnership between the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Highlight Event AG has been extended multiple times, most recently until 2028 in 2024. Highlight Event AG serves as a marketing partner for EBU initiatives and properties.
• Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Wiener Philharmoniker)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Highlight Event AG has an exclusive marketing partnership with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The partnership has been extended multiple times, most recently in 2023 through 2032. This long-standing relationship began in 2014 and represents a key asset in the event marketing segment.
• UEFA (Union of European Football Associations)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022TEAM Marketing AG, a 100% subsidiary of Highlight Communications, serves as the exclusive marketing agent for UEFA club competitions for seasons 2027-2033. The partnership was secured following completion of a tender process in 2022. TEAM handles commercialization of media rights and sponsorship for UEFA's premier club football competitions.
• Paramount Home Media DistributionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2015Paramount Home Media Distribution and Highlight Communications extended their distribution agreement in 2015 for home media distribution of film content. This channel partnership supports international distribution of Highlight's film library through Paramount's home entertainment channels.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE: Major German free-to-TV broadcaster (SAT.1, ProSieben) with digital and entertainment production arms. Adjacent comparable for the Sport1 Medien GmbH / Constantin Medien legacy broadcast operations, though materially larger and broader.
• IMG (Endeavor): Global sports and entertainment agency under Endeavor. Overlaps with TEAM Marketing on rights commercialization, athlete representation and event production, but operates at significantly larger global scale.
• RTL Group (Bertelsmann): Europe's largest broadcaster with production (Fremantle, UFA) and streaming operations. Comparable to Highlight at the group level for European content production and multi-platform distribution, though at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Lagardère SA: French media group with two operating divisions—Lagardère Publishing and Lagardère Sports—mirroring Highlight's two-segment model of content/IP (Constantin Film) plus sports marketing agency (TEAM). Particularly apt structural peer given the sports-rights commercialization overlap.
• Infront Sports & Media: Direct competitor to TEAM Marketing as one of Europe's leading sports marketing agencies. Infront commercializes media and sponsorship rights for FIFA, the IOC and major European football properties—mirror-image business to TEAM's UEFA mandate, making it the single most comparable peer.
• Banijay Group: Large European content production and distribution group comparable to the Constantin Film AG business. Both produce and distribute local-language scripted/unscripted content across cinema, TV and digital windows in continental Europe.
• StudioCanal (Canal+ subsidiary): European film production, distribution and library owner within the Canal+ group. Closely comparable to Constantin Film AG in business model (production + acquisition + library exploitation) and continental European footprint.
• Wasserman (Wasserman Media Group): Global sports marketing, talent representation and events agency. Direct peer to TEAM Marketing on the agency/commercialization side, with overlapping clients and a comparable mandate-based revenue model.

Emerging players

• Beta Film GmbH: Independent German-based TV distribution and co-production company. Comparable to Constantin Film's international distribution arm but with a TV-skewed rather than theatrical focus.

Others

• Constantin Medien Holding (legacy entity): Pre-acquisition name of the asset Highlight absorbed in 2018–2021 to create Sport1 Medien. Listed as a structural / governance comparable for understanding Highlight's historical ownership evolution rather than as a current competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highlight Communications AG