Kirch, which sells third-party television rights to sporting events, took the decision to report first-half figures as it attempts to prove its financial openness in the run-up to its merger with listed broadcasting subsidiary ProSiebenSat.1 Media.
Its Ebitda rose by 42.2% year on year from £116m to £165m. The bulk of its revenue comes from the sports rights business, which earned £193m for the group.
While KirchMedia did not provide an outlook for its full-year results 2001 or 2002, it said it did not expect a quick recovery from the domestic advertising sector.
The group is currently embroiled in an argument with the UK Office of Fair Trading over BBC and ITV negotiating jointly to buy rights to the World Cup next year. The UK broadcasters say the £170m Kirch is looking for is too high.
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