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BSkyB outgrows profit forecast

01/02/2006

Satellite broadcast firm BSkyB said today that its interim profits were ahead of forecasts as it grew its Pay-TV customer base by an extra 215,000 subscribers.

Rupert Murdoch's company said that earnings in the first half of its year rose by 13.7 per cent, while pre-tax profit was up to £390 million, close to £16 million more than forecast.

Chief executive James Murdoch said: "The business is moving forward on all fronts, including strong growth in earnings and cash flow. In the last quarter more customers joined Sky than at any time in the last three years."

Over the period Sky added an extra 215,000 subscribers to its market-leading service, compared to 192,000 the year before and equivalent to a 12 per cent rise in its customer base.

Mr Murdoch said that Sky is confident of achieving its goal of signing up ten million customers by 2010, as it looks forward to the launch of a high-definition TV and broadband service.


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