Telenor Broadcast sees EBITDA growth, subscriber decline

Telenor Broadcast, the arm of the Norwegian telco that includes its DTH and cable TV activities as well as satellite and terrestrial transmission and conditional access unit Conax, managed to grow its EBITDA margin and operating profit but continued to lose subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Pay TV division Canal Digital lost 8,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter, a lower rate of loss than for the comparable quarter in 2010, taking its total to 965,000. Cable TV subscribers fell by 42,000 to 184,000, while cable broadband customers also fell by 21,000, in a quarter that saw Telenor sell Canal Digital Danmark Kabel TV to Stofa.

Canal Digital fourth quarter DTH revenues were down by NOK10 billion (€1.3 billion) to NOK1.081 billion. Total revenues for Telenor Broadcast were NOK1.81 billion, down by NOK2 million. EBITDA was NOK473 million, up from NOK414 million, thanks notably to reduced transmission costs at Canal Digital.