BSkyB beats forecasts with 80,000 new customers

chris

Reuters is reporting that British pay-TV operator BSkyB (BSY.L) added 80,000 net new customers in the third quarter due to a boost from its high-definition offer but said it expected conditions to remain challenging in 2009.

The company reported nine-month adjusted revenues up 7 percent to 3.96 billion pounds, with an adjusted operating profit up 13 percent at 589 million, both in line with forecasts.

It said it saw strong demand for its newly relaunched Sky+ HD offering, signing up 243,000 customers in the period, and 130,000 new customers to take broadband, meaning some 15 percent of the base now take all three products.

Churn, or the number of customers who dropped Sky, was 10.6 percent, compared to a Reuters poll forecast of 10.8 percent.

Analysts had been expecting net additions of 52,000 in the third quarter, revenues of 3.9 billion pounds ($5.76 billion) and adjusted operating profit of 587 million pounds for the nine months.

($1=.6772 Pound)


Source:reuters