Mixed fortunes for Orange TV: growth in France, decline in Spain

Orange had 10.437 million TV customers as of the end of March, out of 21.9 million fixed broadband connections.

The TV base grew from 10.347 million at the end of December, with the growth coming primarily from the domestic market. In France, Orange gained 100,000 TV subscribers quarter-on-quarter, ending the period with 7.712 million IPTV and satellite TV customers.  Elsewhere in Europe, Orange lost a net 10,000 TV customers, ending March with 2.725 million.

The big loser was Spain, the company’s most competitive market, where it lost 22,000 TV subs through the quarter, ending with 703,000 customers, despite its overall broadband base remaining stable. Orange’s TV base in the country represents 17% penetration of its broadband base. The company saw progress with convergence, adding 10,000 subs, and with FTTH, where it added 49,000.

In Poland, Orange’s TV base remained more or less flat, rising by 2,000 to 1.017 million. Elswehere in central and Eastern Europe, the company’s TV base was also flat, ending the quarter with 738,000 subscdribers.

In Belgium and Luxembourg, its TV base grew by 8,000 to 267,000.

Overall, Orange’s revenues were up 0.5% for the quarter at €10.315 billion, pushed by strong performances in Africa and the Middle East. Spain remains the problem child for the company, with revenues plummeting by 7.4%. in France, overall revenues dipped by 0.2%.

CEO Stéphane Richard pointed to the group’s resilience in the face on the ongoing pandemic, which has negatively impacted France in particular through the first quarter, and highlighted solid growth across Africa and the Middle East as well as modest growth in Europe “excluding the Spanish market, where recovery remains a priority”.