Sky Italia posts fourth-quarter subscriber growth, hit by sports costs

Sky Italia added 45,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter, helping to reduce its year-on-year decline in customers to 56,000. The News Corp-owned operator ended its financial year with 4.7 million subscribers.

Sky Italia reported fourth quarter operating income of US$97m (€74m), down a full US$58m on last year’s figure. Its full-year operating income was US$230m, down from US$393m for fiscal 2009. News Corp said the results reflected local currency revenue growth of 4% for the final quarter, flat revenue for the full-year, and increased costs as a result of higher sports programming costs related to the World Cup.

News Corp reported full-year operating income of US$4bn, up 11%. Net income was US$2.5bn, up from negative US$3.4bn, on revenues of US$32.8bn, up from US$30.4bn.