BSkyB Results – Over 4 Million Subscribers

BSkyB has today announced results for the year ending 30 June; pre-tax profits were up by 67% to £155m; following the flotation of BSkyB in December last year these are the first full year figures as a quoted company.

The increase in profitability is attributed to a rise in subscribers, plus an increase in the average revenue per subscriber. Total subscribers increased from 3.48 million to 4.16 million during the year. The increase in the fourth quarter was 110,000.

Direct to Home subscribers grew from 2.54 million to 2.89 million, with the balance being cable subscribers, growing from 0.94 million to 1.27 million. There was an increase in the take up of premium channels among both DTH and cable subscribers; among the DTH there was a reduction in the level of cancellations. 84% of the group’s total revenues came from subscriptions. Extra channels which joined BSkyB’s multi-channel package last year were Sky Sports 2, Sky Soap and Sky Travel; this October the Disney Channel will launch on BSkyB.