The ASX is home to a number of big and small-name media shares, and we've found the 5 best performers of the 2021 financial year.
Shareholders of these entertainment, marketing, and news companies, get ready to celebrate!
5 best ASX media shares of FY21
For simplicity's sake, we've narrowed this list down to ASX media shares with market capitalisations higher than $100 million.
Seven West Media Ltd (ASX: SWM)
The Seven West Media share price was best in class in the 2021 financial year, gaining a whopping 365%.
Its share price started the financial year at just 9.1 cents but, by its end, it was trading at 46.5 cents.
Seven West owns the West Australian newspaper and Channel Seven free-to-air television stations.
Seven West was one of many ASX media companies hit hard by Facebook Inc's (NASDAQ: FB) ban on Aussie news.
However, Seven was the first media company to claw its way out of the social media-meet-government pit, quickly making deals with some of the internet's biggest players. First, with Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOGL), and later with Facebook.
Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX: NEC)
The Nine Entertainment share price also did well in the financial year just gone. It gained an impressive 110%.
Having opened the financial year at $1.38, shares in Nine finished it trading for $2.91.
Nine is the definition of a media conglomeration. It owns the Channel Nine network, the Macquarie Radio network, the Stan streaming platform, and former Fairfax newspapers including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and the Australian Financial Review.
In February, Nine reported its profits had doubled, and then in March, it announced its new CEO.
Like many other media companies, Nine penned deals with Google and Facebook over the financial year. However, Nine didn't announce the deals until June.
News Corporation Class B Voting CDI (ASX: NWS)
Despite a barrelling of bad news, the News Corp share price gained 87% in the financial year just been. Its shares began the period swapping hands for $17.11 and finished the year trading at $32.16.
The conglomerate owns a multitude of newspapers and media titles including The Australian, News.com.au, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, and The Courier-Mail.
It started the financial year at a low point, recording a net income drop of 919% before its proposed buyout of Foxtel was rejected.
Luckily, a series of more positive quarterly reports kept the market feeling positive about the Murdoch-owned entity.
News Corp was quick to make its deal with Facebook in March, just 10 days before it announced it was to acquire Investor's Business Daily for $361 million.
oOh!Media Ltd (ASX: OML)
Ooh!Media shares grew by 78% during the year ended 30 June 2021 – its share price went from 91 cents to $1.75.
Ooh!Media specialises in 'out of home' advertising products such as billboards, transport advertising, and digital media. It also holds media brands Junkee and Punkee, and clients such as American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) and Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX).
Impressive half-year and quarterly reports, as well as a positive trading update each saw oOh!Media shares increasing over the financial year.
IVE Group Ltd (ASX: IGL)
Finally, IVE Group's share price made it onto this list after gaining 69% in the 2021 financial year.
On 30 July 2020, its share price closed at 80 cents. Exactly 12 months later, it finished at $1.45.
IVE Group is a print and marketing communications company that specialises in print, mobile, and interactive media. Examples of its work include catalogues, magazine printing, and marketing materials.
Over the financial year just been, the company lost between $35 million and $40 million of annual income when Coles stopped distributing its catalogues. Then, it divested its telemarketing business.
However, it also won a 5-year contract worth more than $100 million annually and began an on-market share buy-back.
Finally, it released a positive business update and earnings guidance in late May.
