'Lockdown has given us great opportunities'

The company behind spoof website Daily Mash has doubled its cash balance in six months

Digitalbox plc, which also owns Entertainment Daily, swelled its bank balance from £600,000 at the end of December to £1.2million at the end of June.

Announcing a half-year trading update, directors say that 'despite the impact of Covid-19, the performance of the company in the first six months has been encouraging.

Revenue for the six months ending 30 June 2020 is expected to be flat year-on-year, at about £1 million.

Entertainment Daily increased its traffic 16 per cent over the year, and - without giving figures - the company says the Daily Mash 'saw record audience figures through the early stages of lockdown'.

They acknowledge the spin-off Mash Report TV show, pictured, which aired on BBC2 through April and May boosted numbers.

James Carter, the chief executive of Digitalbox, said: 'While the lockdown has presented great opportunities for the Daily Mash to showcase the talent of its writers, the flow of news for Entertainment Daily slowed as TV production stopped and celebrities were out of view. 

'We remain cautiously optimistic about the second half of 2020 as big TV shows return to our screens, retail opens up again, and the economy returns to a more positive position.'

Published: 28 Jul 2020