Debates of the General Shareholders Meeting of Ekstraklasa S.A.

The participants in the OGSM unanimously decided to discharge all members of the Supervisory Board of Ekstraklasa S.A. who have performed the function in financial year 2016/17, i.e. during the period from 1 July 2016 through 30 June 2017, from liability for the performance of their duties.
 
The Management Board of the company, composed of Dariusz Marzec (President of the Management Board), Marcin Animucki (Deputy President of the Management Board) and Jacek Bednarz (Member of the Management Board) were also unanimously discharged from the liability for the performance of their duties. The OGSM unanimously approved of the Management Board’s report on the activity of the Company and of the capital group of Ekstraklasa for the preceding financial year.

OGSM unanimously approved of the financial statement of Ekstraklasa S.A. for the preceding financial year, which covers the period corresponding to the 2016/17 football game season.  At that time, Ekstraklasa S.A. reported historic levels of revenues which amounted to nearly PLN 173.5 million, which is more by PLN 4.5 million more than last year. Consolidated revenues of the capital group grew as well (taking into account the revenues of daughter company Ekstraklasa Live Park). They amounted to PLN 199 million, which is by PLN 4 million more than in the preceding year.

In particular, the revenues consist of proceeds from partners and sponsors. In the last season, they amounted to PLN 23.9 million, i.e. grew by PLN 5.5 as compared to the 2015/16 season. This revenue level was possible thanks to winning the title partner, which is the LOTTO brand and thanks to new contracts with the partners of Ekstraklasa: OSHEE, O-BY-OSHEE and the Henryk Kania brands. Also, Ekstraklasa sol a license to SEGA, producer of game: Football Manager.

Concurrently, also revenues from sale of exclusive media rights to partners of the games realizing broadcasts and coverage in official media channels increased. Total revenues generated therefrom amounted to PLN 152.4 and exceeded, by PLN 2.8 million the revenues of the previous season.

Owing to the high revenues, the Company could increase distributions to shareholders, which account for approx. 88% of the total expenses of the company. For the first time in history, a pool of funds for the Ekstraklasa’s clubs was increased during a season, which resulted in disbursement totalling PLN 145.2 million, which is by PLN 8.2 million more than in the preceding settlement period.

Also other areas of the activity of the company saw record levels. The attendance rate at stadiums amounted to 2,845,707 as of the end of the season, which is more by 5.8% than in the previous season. Also the television audience of the matches grew. The total audience in the following channels: Canal+ (including the on-line channel), Eurosport and TVP amounted to 37.5 million, i.e. by 4.8 million more than in the 2015/16 season.

Decisions made by OGSM

The OGSM appointed the Supervisory Board members for a new one-year term of office. The four best clubs of the previous season have automatically the right to have their representatives in the Supervisory Board, who are the following persons:

•    Jarosław Jankowski (Legia Warszawa)
•    Cezary Kulesza (Jagiellonia Białystok)
•    Karol Klimczak (Lech Poznań)
•    Maciej Bałaziński (Lechia Gdańsk)

Moreover, the remaining 12 top league clubs elected the following two members of the Supervisory Board:

•    Krzysztof Zając (Korona Kielce)
•    Jarosław Mroczek (Pogoń Szczecin)

President of PZPN (Polish Football Association), Zbigniew Boniek was also elected to the Supervisory Board.

Karol Klimczak was elected from among members of the Supervisory Board as its Chairman and Cezary Kulesza as the Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Also Maciej Bałaziński was elected as the Secretary of the Board.

- We count on new opening in the activity of Ekstraklasa S.A. We want to focus on good cooperation with PFA with the view to implementing the statutory objectives of the company in the best possible way, said new President of the Supervisory Board Klimczak immediately after his election.

Ekstraklasa S.A. is a joint stock company the shareholders in which are the 16 top league football clubs and the Polish Football Association (PZPN). The main tasks of the company include management of the games and sale of television broadcast and marketing rights to the games.

 

The Supervisory Board of Ekstraklasa SA is composed of seven members and is elected for one-year terms of office. In accordance with the Articles of Association of the company, representatives of the first four clubs in the classification of the previous season and the representative of the PFA have a guarantee of having its members in the Supervisory Board. Two members are elected by the representatives of the other twelve clubs from among candidates nominated by them.