Mickey O’Rourke’s TDL Media recorded pretax profits of €18.66 million in 2022 following the sale of its Premier Sports UK group to Swedish company Viaplay that year.
Consolidated accounts filed recently by the media entrepreneur’s expanding investment holding company, TDL Media Ltd, show it received €24.69 million in “investment income” that year.
The directors said the group sold its Premier Media Broadcasting Ltd and Freesports Ltd in 2022, but bought back the Premier Sports UK business from Viaplay earlier this year.
A note attached to the accounts states that the group’s profit on disposal of Premier Media Broadcasting Ltd and Freesports Ltd included the group’s share of the subsidiary’s net liabilities of €11.77 million.
The group also sold its interest in Setanta Ukraine during 2022 while it invested in IFHC Ltd and commenced operations in Asia.
The group’s main activities are television, online sports broadcasting and the provision of sports programmes in Ireland and Britain, as well as investment in various media-related businesses.
Revenues increased by 6 per cent to €42.78 million in 2022, according to the accounts, with the group recording an operating loss of €5.23 million before the investment income and interest payments of €615,472 are taken into account.
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At the end of 2022, the group had shareholder funds of €24.04 million – a turnaround from a €7.3 million deficit the previous year.
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Numbers employed during the year fell to 85 from 92, but staff costs increased from €3.12 million to €3.95 million.
Mr O’Rourke has taken majority stakes in League of Ireland team Shelbourne FC and Finest Brands, a collection of equestrian headgear and riding equipment brands. These add to his sports channel interests – Premier Sports in Ireland, Setanta Sports in the Philippines and W-Sport, the world’s first sports channel dedicated to women’s sport, based in Belgium.
Mr O’Rourke’s business interests also include minority stakes in ticketing software developer Future Ticketing, digital publisher Joe Media and alternative financier Finance Fair.
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