BSkyB reports 25% interim profit rise

BSkyB today said it had attracted 192,000 new customers in the second quarter as it reported a 25% rise in interim profits.

The group said the above-expectations net growth in the period took its total number of subscribers to more than 7.6 million. Analysts had anticipated growth of up to 180,000.

Operating profits before goodwill for the six months to December 31 came in at £354m (€510m), while profits after tax were up 18% at £154m (€221m).

Chief executive James Murdoch said: “The business delivered a a strong set of financial results in the first half year with good sales and profit growth.”

BSkyB said Sky remained on track to reach its target of eight million subscribers by December 31 this year.

The company said the total number of households taking its Sky Plus service, which allows customers to pause live TV and record one satellite programme while viewing another, increased by a record 168,000 in the quarter to 642,000, representing 8.4% of its total subscribers.

It said the growth in Sky Plus customers had also led to further good growth in the number of households taking two or more subscriptions, with the total number of so-called “multi-room” households increasing by 116,000 in the quarter to 473,000, accounting for 6.2% of total subscribers.

The group said Sky’s wholly-owned channels achieved their highest ever weekly combined share of TV viewing in the week to January 2, representing 9.6% of total TV viewing in all households with televisions.

Live sports events such as Liverpool’s match against Chelsea, the film premiere of Bruce Almighty and Sky News enabled Sky to win a higher viewing share in all TV households than Channel Four for a full week for the first time.

Total revenues increased by 10% against the same time last year to £1.945bn (€2.8bn).