Belgacom TV subscriptions are growing. By adding 26,000 homes the total TV customer base reached 1,412,000 on March 31, 2013.
The first-quarter 2013 TV revenue grew by 16.9% to EUR64 million, as a result of the continued subscriber growth, with Belgacom adding 26,000 TV subscriptions (i.e. including +12,000 multiple set-top boxes) in the first quarter 2013.
This resulted in a total TV customer base of 1,412,000 (+13% year-over-year), of which 242,000 were multiple streams (with more than one set-top box connected).
The TV ARPU showed a 4.5% growth year-over-year to EUR18.3 supported by a price increase for rental of STBs.
Belgacom also said it still hopes to gain access to the country’s cable networks. The incumbent filed an annulment request against its exclusion as beneficiary from digital TV and broadband access in the broadcast decisions of July 2011.
The court rulings of 2012 rejecting the claims of all the cable operators (suspension cases against opening of cable) have paved the way for the effective implementation of the cable obligations, but Belgacom was excluded from access.