Orange wins subscribers for premium TV service

OrangeFrance Télécom/Orange’s new premium Orange TV package in France had attracted 363,000 subscribers by the end of March, up from 130,000 at the end of December. Orange was forced to suspend marketing its premium sport service towards the end of March as a result of competition concerns.

The company had signed up 2.5 million digital TV customers globally at the end of the first quarter, up 75% year-on-year.

Digital TV customers (IPTV and satellite) in France numbered 2.166 million, up 69%, including 316,000 satellite subscribers, following the launch of the service last July. The company recorded 7.7 million video-on-demand downloads in the quarter, up from two million last year. Digital TV customers in Poland numbered 198,000 at the end of March.

France Télécom’s EBITDA fell by 4.4% on a like-for-like basis to €4.3bn, which the company attributed to the full impact of content purchases linked to the launch of the premium TV service in France. France Télécom reported total revenues of €12.685bn for the quarter, up 0.4% on a like-for-like basis. 

Separately, France Télécom has acquired the stakes of the main minority shareholders in France Télécom España, taking its stake from 81.6% to 99.85%. The minority shareholders agreed to sell their stakes for €1.374bn. France Télécom intends to invite the shareholders that hold the remaining 0.15% to sell their shares in the near future. 

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