Key Points
- Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG) has appointed experienced media executive Markus Breitenecker as the future Chairman of its Executive Board.
- According to Gideon Gottfried of Pollstar, Breitenecker will join DEAG’s Executive Board on 1 November 2026 and succeed Detlef Kornett.
- Detlef Kornett will leave DEAG at the end of 2026 when his current contract expires, following 13 years on the company’s Executive Board.
- Breitenecker will simultaneously acquire a shareholding in DEAG as part of the leadership transition.
- Kornett has served as DEAG’s Co-CEO since 2023 and as Chairman of the Executive Board since 2024.
- During Kornett’s leadership, DEAG expanded its international operations, with overseas business accounting for more than 50% of consolidated turnover, according to Pollstar’s report.
- The UK has developed into DEAG’s second home market, generating about €200 million annually, Pollstar reported.
- DEAG recorded approximately €490 million in revenue in 2025, described by Pollstar as the highest revenue figure in the company’s history.
- Kornett oversaw DEAG’s expansion into Italy through the 2024 acquisition of MC2 Live and into Spain through the launch of Get Rock Live with Spanish promoter Pierre Sabbag.
- DEAG’s spoken-word division also became an important part of the group’s business during Kornett’s tenure.
- Markus Breitenecker brings experience from the media, technology and platform sectors, including his former position as Chief Operating Officer of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE.
- Breitenecker previously led ProSiebenSat.1’s Austrian operations and was appointed to the German group’s Executive Board as COO in April 2024.
- ProSiebenSat.1 announced in October 2025 that Breitenecker would step down from his COO role with immediate effect.
- Breitenecker said he was excited to begin a new chapter at DEAG and intended to bring his experience in media, technology and platform businesses to the European entertainment group.
- Tobias Buck, Chairman of DEAG’s Supervisory Board, thanked Kornett for his contribution to DEAG’s international development and welcomed Breitenecker as his successor.
- The incoming leadership is expected to focus on DEAG’s continued international growth and expansion across existing and new business areas.
The leadership transition at Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG) marks a planned change at the top of the European live-entertainment group, with Markus Breitenecker set to succeed Detlef Kornett while the company prepares for its next phase of international growth. As reported by Gideon Gottfried of Pollstar on 29 September 2026, Breitenecker will join DEAG’s Executive Board on 1 November 2026 and will become the company’s future Chairman, while Kornett is scheduled to leave the business at the end of 2026 when his contract expires.
Who will succeed Detlef Kornett at DEAG?
According to Gideon Gottfried of Pollstar, Markus Breitenecker, an experienced media and entertainment executive, will succeed Detlef Kornett at DEAG. Breitenecker is due to join the company’s Executive Board on 1 November 2026 and will simultaneously acquire a shareholding in DEAG.
The transition will take place after Kornett’s 13-year period on DEAG’s Executive Board. Pollstar reported that Kornett will leave the company at the end of 2026 following the expiry of his contract.
The appointment represents a change in leadership rather than an immediate change in DEAG’s broader growth direction. Pollstar reported that Breitenecker will work alongside the other members of DEAG’s Executive Board, with particular attention to continued international expansion and strengthening the company’s position in both existing and new business areas.
DEAG’s own corporate information currently identifies Detlef Kornett as Group CEO and responsible for International Business Affairs. The company’s published biography states that Kornett became Chairman of the Executive Board and Group CEO in April 2024, after previously serving on the Executive Board with responsibility for strategic business development, marketing and international business affairs.
How long has Detlef Kornett led DEAG?
Detlef Kornett has been part of DEAG’s senior leadership for more than a decade. DEAG’s corporate biography records that he joined the company’s Executive Board in 2014, initially with responsibility for Marketing and International Business Affairs. In 2023, he became responsible for Strategic Business Development, Marketing and International Business Affairs as co-CEO, before becoming Chairman of the Executive Board and Group CEO in April 2024.
His appointment as DEAG’s leading executive followed the earlier handover from company founder Prof. Peter Schwenkow. DEAG said Schwenkow transferred operational management to Kornett from 1 April 2024 and moved into the role of Founder & Senior Advisor.
In its announcement at the time, DEAG said Schwenkow had led the company for 46 years before handing over responsibility. The company said it had more than 600 employees across seven countries and 22 locations at that stage, while describing its activities as spanning the international live-entertainment market.
Kornett subsequently became the central executive figure in DEAG’s next phase of expansion. Pollstar’s Gideon Gottfried reported that DEAG’s international business now represents more than half of consolidated turnover. The report also said the UK had developed into the group’s second home market, producing roughly €200 million in annual revenue.
What changed at DEAG under Detlef Kornett?
Pollstar reported that Kornett played a significant role in DEAG’s international development, including expansion into additional European markets.
One of the developments highlighted by Gideon Gottfried of Pollstar was DEAG’s move into Italy through its 2024 acquisition of MC2 Live. Pollstar also reported that DEAG expanded into Spain through the launch of Get Rock Live, established in collaboration with Spanish live promoter Pierre Sabbag.
The company’s financial performance also provides context for the leadership transition. According to Pollstar, DEAG generated approximately €490 million in revenue during financial year 2025, which was the highest revenue figure in the company’s history.
More recently, DEAG reported strong first-half 2026 results. In the company’s first-half financial communication, Group CEO Detlef Kornett said that the performance had been in line with expectations and pointed to a strong event pipeline and visibility for subsequent quarters. DEAG also reported that ticket sales for events in 2026 and 2027 had already exceeded six million by the end of June 2026.
Kornett’s period has therefore coincided with a period in which DEAG has increased its international footprint, expanded its event portfolio and developed additional business areas.
Pollstar also noted the development of DEAG’s spoken-word division, describing it as a key pillar of the group’s business under Kornett’s leadership.
What is Detlef Kornett’s background in entertainment?
Detlef Kornett has a long background in sports, entertainment and international business. DEAG’s published biography states that he previously worked for AEG Worldwide, where he held European Business Affairs responsibilities and served as President and CEO in Germany.
Before that, Kornett worked as Managing Director at Twins Enterprise Ltd in the UK, with responsibility covering production, wholesale and retail. He also served as General Manager at NFL-Properties Inc, where his responsibilities included licensing business.
His corporate career also included a period as Managing Director of Red Bull GmbH in Austria between 2011 and 2012.
Kornett joined DEAG in 2014 and subsequently took on increasing responsibility for the company’s international business and strategic development. DEAG’s biography records his progression from Executive Board member to co-CEO and then Chairman of the Executive Board.
Pollstar also reported that Kornett was recognised as a 2024 Pollstar Impact International honoree, while noting that his interest in live music began during his youth.
Who is Markus Breitenecker?
Markus Breitenecker is an Austrian media executive with a career spanning television, streaming, digital platforms and entertainment.
According to ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, Breitenecker joined the company’s Executive Board on 1 April 2024 and became Chief Operating Officer. At the time, he was responsible for the Entertainment segment alongside then Group CEO Bert Habets, with particular responsibility for streaming and digital platforms as well as country activities in Austria and Switzerland.
ProSiebenSat.1’s published biography states that Breitenecker began his media career in 1996 as CEO of The Weather Channel in Düsseldorf. In 1997, he moved to Kabel Eins, and in 1998 he founded ProSieben Austria.
Over subsequent years, Breitenecker was involved in the development of several media businesses in Austria. ProSiebenSat.1 said that he developed ProSiebenSat.1 PULS4 into the largest private television group in Austria and helped develop Joyn into the country’s largest streaming platform.
His career has also included responsibility for digital media and technology-related operations. ProSiebenSat.1’s biography lists responsibilities including strategy, mergers and acquisitions, marketing, IT and artificial intelligence, regulatory affairs and sustainability during his time as COO.
What happened to Markus Breitenecker at ProSiebenSat.1?
Breitenecker’s move to DEAG follows his departure from ProSiebenSat.1’s Executive Board.
ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE announced on 21 October 2025 that Markus Breitenecker would step down from his position as Chief Operating Officer with immediate effect. The company said his position would not be replaced at Executive Board level.
That change followed the appointment of Marco Giordani as ProSiebenSat.1’s new CEO. The company said Giordani succeeded Bert Habets, while Bob Rajan was appointed on an interim basis as CFO.
Breitenecker’s departure from ProSiebenSat.1 means his forthcoming appointment at DEAG will bring his experience from a major European media group into a live-entertainment business whose operations extend across several European markets.
What will Markus Breitenecker do at DEAG?
According to Gideon Gottfried of Pollstar, Breitenecker will become future Chairman of DEAG’s Executive Board and will work with the company’s existing leadership to support continued international expansion.
Pollstar reported that DEAG expects the incoming executive to use his experience across media, technology and platform businesses to help shape the company’s next phase.
Breitenecker himself said, as quoted by Pollstar, that he was excited to begin a new chapter with DEAG. He described live entertainment as a personal passion and said that he wanted to bring his experience from media, technology and platform businesses to the group.
He also referred to DEAG’s existing team and business foundations, while expressing an intention to help develop new opportunities for entertainment in Europe.
The planned appointment therefore brings together two areas of Breitenecker’s professional background: traditional media and newer digital and platform-based businesses. That experience is relevant to an entertainment company operating across live events, ticketing and related business activities.
What did Detlef Kornett say about the leadership change?
Detlef Kornett welcomed the incoming leadership as he prepares to leave DEAG.
As reported by Gideon Gottfried of Pollstar, Kornett said his time at DEAG had been marked by an “extraordinary period of development” and that he was proud of what the company had achieved as a team.
Kornett also thanked DEAG’s colleagues and partners for their collaboration and expressed his wishes for Breitenecker and the wider DEAG team as the company enters its next phase.
His comments place the transition in the context of a longer period of organisational and international development rather than presenting it as an abrupt change in direction.
Kornett is expected to remain with DEAG until the end of 2026, when his contract expires. Until then, the company will operate through the transition period before Breitenecker assumes the new leadership role from November.
What did Tobias Buck say about Markus Breitenecker’s appointment?
Tobias Buck, Chairman of DEAG’s Supervisory Board, also commented on the change.
According to Gideon Gottfried of Pollstar, Buck thanked Kornett for his long-standing commitment and for his contribution to DEAG’s international development.
Buck also welcomed Breitenecker to DEAG and highlighted his entrepreneurial and management experience. He said the incoming chairman would lead DEAG along its continued growth path and contribute to the company’s future development.
The Supervisory Board’s comments indicate that DEAG sees continuity in its growth strategy alongside the change in the individual leading the Executive Board.
What does the leadership transition mean for DEAG’s international business?
The transition comes as DEAG operates an increasingly international business.
Pollstar reported that more than 50% of DEAG’s consolidated turnover now comes from overseas operations, with the UK accounting for approximately €200 million annually and described as the group’s second home market.
DEAG’s international development has included activity in the UK as well as expansion into Italy and Spain. The acquisition of MC2 Live in Italy in 2024 and the launch of Get Rock Live in Spain were among the developments highlighted by Pollstar in its report on Kornett’s tenure.
The scale of the overseas business makes international management an important part of the incoming leadership’s responsibilities. Pollstar reported that Breitenecker and the other Executive Board members will focus particularly on continued international growth and expanding DEAG’s market position across existing and new areas of business.
For professionals working across entertainment businesses, the development also illustrates how management responsibilities can extend across international markets, digital platforms, live events, ticketing and related commercial operations. This makes Management and Leadership relevant to understanding executive succession, organisational continuity and leadership responsibilities in expanding international businesses.
What is DEAG’s position ahead of the leadership handover?
DEAG enters the transition after reporting strong business activity during the first half of 2026.
According to DEAG’s first-half 2026 reporting, the company said its performance was fully in line with expectations and pointed to a well-filled event pipeline. DEAG also reported that more than six million tickets for events in 2026 and 2027 had already been sold by the end of June, with most sales made through the group’s own ticketing platforms.
The company’s recent performance provides the operating backdrop for the planned leadership handover.
The transition will also follow several years of changes within DEAG’s management structure. In 2025, for example, DEAG said that the company would operate with a broadened management structure as responsibilities were increasingly delegated to divisional board-level executives.
The incoming leadership will therefore inherit an organisation that has been expanding internationally and developing a broader management structure.
When will Markus Breitenecker take over from Detlef Kornett?
The formal timetable reported by Pollstar’s Gideon Gottfried places Markus Breitenecker’s arrival on the DEAG Executive Board on 1 November 2026.
Detlef Kornett will remain with the company until the end of 2026, when his existing contract expires. Breitenecker is expected to become Chairman of the Executive Board, while also taking a shareholding in DEAG.
The overlap between Breitenecker’s appointment in November and Kornett’s departure at the end of December creates a period in which the leadership transition can take place before Kornett formally leaves the company.
For DEAG, the change brings an executive with a background in television, streaming, technology and digital platforms into the leadership of a European live-entertainment group with an increasingly international operating footprint.
The company’s next phase will therefore be shaped by a combination of leadership continuity and a new executive perspective. Kornett’s tenure has been associated with international expansion, increased overseas turnover and new European market activity, while Breitenecker is set to bring experience from media, technology and platform businesses to the next stage of DEAG’s development.
As the leadership transition progresses, businesses operating across entertainment and other international sectors can draw on Management and Leadership expertise when examining executive succession, organisational development and the management of growth across multiple markets.