BskyB Subscriptions Over 4 Million

BSkyB has announced that it has passed 4 million paying subscribers in the first quarter of this year. The 4.05m subscriber total has contributed to pre-tax profits of £49m in the three months to March 31. This is an increase of 96.8% on the same quarter in 1994.

Results for the nine months of BSkyB’s June financial year show pre-tax profits up 65% to £104 million.

Sam Chisholm, chief executive, said there had been strong growth in subscribers in the pre-Christmas period. ‘The company has also strengthened its position in the marketplace and with further programming acquisitions we anticipate significant growth going forward.’

BSkyB reported net growth in subscribers of 90,000 in the three months to March, traditionally a low period for new subscriptions; in the nine months to June there was a net increase of 576,000. Subscription revenue from direct-to-home and cable subscribers accounts for 85% of total revenue, with 12% from advertising and the rest from installations.