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Flutter Entertainment plc (FLUT)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q1 2025 delivered mixed headline results: revenue grew 8% year over year to $3.665B, Adjusted EBITDA rose 20% to $616M, and diluted EPS improved to $1.57; however, both revenue and EPS missed Wall Street consensus on adverse March Madness outcomes despite structural margin expansion to 14.1% in U.S. sportsbook .
- U.S. led growth: revenue +18% y/y with iGaming +32%; International was +1% nominal (+3% cc), with strength in SEA and CEE offset by APAC sportsbook and Brazil re-registration friction .
- Guidance adjusted for M&A (Snai, NSX), FX and sports results: Group revenue midpoint raised to $17.08B and Adjusted EBITDA to $3.18B; U.S. total revenue/EBITDA trimmed on sports results, while International raised meaningfully; share buybacks continued ($230M in Q1) .
- Key near-term catalysts: rollout of “Your Way” outcome-based pricing across major sports, sustained U.S. iGaming momentum (1M AMPs), Italy integration synergies (EUR 70M over three years), and potential lottery bid in Italy; sports-result normalization and basketball handle recovery are watch points .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- U.S. leadership strengthened: sportsbook net revenue margin reached 7.8% with structural revenue margin at 14.1%; iGaming revenue grew 32% and U.S. Adjusted EBITDA increased to $161M (5x y/y), demonstrating operating leverage .
- iGaming milestones: FanDuel hit 1M AMPs and launched site-wide jackpots and exclusive content (e.g., Huff ‘n Puff), supporting higher engagement and frequency .
- Strategic M&A and synergies: Snai closed (Apr 30); management targets EUR 70M synergies over three years with decisions on organization/technology already made; NSX expected mid-May to form Flutter Brazil .
- Quote: “Our proprietary pricing capability continues to drive our market‑leading sportsbook product and drive our expected structural gross revenue margin progression, reaching 14.1% in the quarter.”
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What Went Wrong
- Sports results headwind: unprecedented winning favorites in March Madness drove customer-friendly outcomes; U.S. revenue/EBITDA reduced by $230M/$150M in Q1 (April additional $50M/$30M), weighing on consensus comparison .
- Basketball handle softness: structurally lower competitiveness and larger spreads depressed NBA regular-season handle; management flagged disproportionate impact given scale .
- Cash flow optics: operating cash flow fell 44% and FCF decreased 52% on lower player wallet balances due to weekday quarter-end timing (transitory) .
- Brazil re-registration friction: Brazil revenue −44% y/y from new market processes, though ARPU uplift and NSX performance remained solid .
Financial Results
- vs Wall Street Consensus
Values retrieved from S&P Global.
- Segment Breakdown and KPIs
Note: Segmentation changed in 2025 to US and International; 2024 “Group Ex‑US” aggregates UKI, International and Australia .
Guidance Changes
Assumptions include sports results at expected margins, current FX, and consistent regulatory/tax frameworks .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “FanDuel continues to win in the US, retaining leadership positions in both online sports betting and iGaming…we saw a positive performance within International, where our scale…have been enhanced by the acquisition of Snai in Italy.”
- “Adjusted EBITDA of $161 million was more than five times higher [than] the prior year, as our business delivered significant operating leverage.”
- “Available cash remained unchanged quarter on quarter at approximately $1.5 billion…Net debt for the quarter was $5.3 billion, with our leverage ratio of 2.2x.”
- “Group revenue is now expected to be $17.08 billion at the midpoint, with adjusted EBITDA of $3.18 billion for the year…”
- “Your Way is…one of the first…examples of the new underlying capability…we’ve re‑architected our pricing risk management capabilities…long‑term set of initiatives.”
Q&A Highlights
- U.S. handle dynamics: Basketball-specific softness due to less competitive matchups and larger spreads; impact may be slightly disproportionate given Flutter’s scale; playoffs engagement strong; MLB handle trends encouraging .
- iGaming execution: First-party content, jackpots, rewards mechanics and unique launches (e.g., Huff ‘n Puff) driving engagement; AMPs hit 1M; long-term content-plus-jackpots strategy to drive revenue and potential cost benefits (lower rev share) .
- Italy/Snai integration: Clear synergy plan (EUR 70M over three years), common stack, operating model optimization, organizational/tech decisions made; omnichannel cross-sell expected .
- Prediction markets: Betfair Exchange expertise leveraged; cautious view on impact in regulated sportsbook states; exploring opportunities including states without sports betting .
- Promotions: Ex-NC comps imply broadly flat underlying generosity; conviction on focusing net revenue over handle; expectation that extreme generosity by tier 2/3 operators is unsustainable .
Estimates Context
- Q1 2025 missed consensus: revenue $3.665B vs $3.700B*; primary EPS $1.59 vs $1.887*—driven by customer-friendly March Madness, despite structural margin expansion and strong iGaming .
- Prior quarters beat: Q4 2024 revenue $3.792B vs $3.771B* and adjusted EPS $2.94 vs $1.833* (benefited by U.S. tax credit on historic losses and structural margin expansion); Q3 2024 revenue $3.248B vs $3.147B* and adjusted EPS $0.43 vs $0.233* .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Where estimates may need to adjust:
- U.S. basketball handle softness and quantified sports result headwinds (Q1 + April) suggest near-term EPS/revenue revisions lower; inclusion of Snai/NSX, FX and structural margin progression may offset at Group level in FY guidance .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Structural moat in pricing: Outcome-based “Your Way” and FlutterEdge continue to expand structural margins (14.1% U.S. sportsbook); expect monetization as rollout scales across sports/seasons .
- U.S. iGaming growth durable: 1M AMPs, jackpots, exclusive content and rewards underpin strong growth; cross-sell pipeline remains robust .
- Guidance quality: Despite adverse sports results, Group guidance raised on M&A and FX; U.S. trimmed but normalized margin assumptions maintained; watch cadence (H2 heavier EBITDA) .
- Capital returns and leverage: $230M buybacks in Q1; medium-term leverage target 2.0–2.5x reaffirmed; available cash ~$1.5B; near-term leverage uptick from Snai to decline with EBITDA scaling .
- Regional diversification: SEA/CEE strength and India iGaming growth offset APAC sportsbook/Australia racing softness; Brazil friction transitory with NSX integration to enhance position .
- Risk management: Sports result volatility is transitory; maintain focus on net revenue, disciplined generosity, and product-led margin expansion; expect results to revert toward expected outcomes over time .
- Near-term trading lens: Expect estimate resets on Q1 miss and sports-result commentary; catalysts include broader “Your Way” rollout, Italy synergy proof points, lotto tender outcome, and continued share repurchases .