Sky Deutschland wins praise for subscriber growth

German pay TV operator Sky Deutschland is expected to secure 60,000 new subscribers in its fourth quarter following improved third quarter financial results. Investment bank Morgan Stanley says that it is very impressed with recently installed chief executive Brian Sullivan, who has lead the operator to an increase of 45,000 subscribers in the third quarter.

“Sky Deutschland’s Q3 numbers were a step in the right direction, with a revival in gross adds, falling churn, rising ARPU and a net subscriber figure of 45,000, which, while not stellar is highly respectable in the context of recent quarters. Perhaps most impressive were the 90k HD adds, a lot of them upgrades, but a first sign perhaps that the flurry of value adding offers and new technology (PVRs, HD, iPad apps) are beginning to resonate with the German consumer,” it noted.