Max SteventonDEAG CEO Detlef Kornett (pictured) is to leave the pan-European live entertainment group at the end of the year, with former ProSiebenSat.1 executive Markus Breitenecker appointed as his successor.
Breitenecker will join DEAG’s executive board and become its chairman on 1 November. He will also acquire a shareholding in the company, while Kornett will depart when his contract expires at the end of 2026 following 13 years with the business.
Kornett joined DEAG’s executive board in 2014, having previously held senior roles at AEG Worldwide and Red Bull. He became co-CEO in 2023 before taking over as sole CEO and chairman of the executive board in April 2024, following founder Peter Schwenkow’s decision to step down from the role.
During Kornett’s tenure, DEAG expanded its operations across Europe through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions. The Berlin-headquartered company now has group businesses across markets including Germany, the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain and Italy, with interests spanning concerts, festivals, spoken word, family entertainment and ticketing.
DEAG’s UK businesses include Kilimanjaro Live, Regular Music, FORM, Singular Artists, Fane, Flying Music, JAS Theatricals, Gigantic Tickets and MyTicket, among other live entertainment and ticketing operations
DEAG generated record revenue of around €490m (£426m) in 2025. The company reported revenue of €157.4m (£137m) for the first half of 2026 and has forecast full-year revenue of more than €400m (£348m). More than six million tickets for events taking place in 2026 and 2027 had been sold by the end of June.
Breitenecker joins DEAG after more than three decades in the European media and entertainment sector. He was most recently COO and an executive board member at ProSiebenSat.1 Media, where his responsibilities included streaming and distribution, technology and digitalisation, marketing and artificial intelligence. He left its executive board in October 2025.
At DEAG, Breitenecker will be tasked with developing the group’s international operations, entering new markets and business areas and overseeing the further development of its ticketing technology. The company said acquisitions will also remain part of its expansion strategy.
“My time at DEAG has been marked by extraordinary development,” said Kornett. “I am proud of what we have achieved together as a team and would like to thank all our colleagues and partners for the successful collaboration. I wish Markus Breitenecker and the entire DEAG team every success for the next phase.”
Breitenecker said, “I am very much looking forward to starting a new chapter with DEAG. Live entertainment has always been a personal passion of mine and, especially in the digital age, is something that brings people together. The company has a great team and is ideally positioned to unlock new opportunities. I want to bring my experience in media, technology and platforms to DEAG and help further develop entertainment in Europe.”