The success story that is Mediaset Premium continued into the first half of 2009.
Revenues at the Italian DTT pay operation increased by 84.5% to €148.3 million compared to the first six months of 2008. The number of active cards in the market has increased by 700,000 since December 31, 2008, though the company did not venture the total number of active cards in the market.
EBIT came under pressure at €280.5 million compared to €357.7 million in the first half of 2008. The 21.6% reduction in the first six months is an improvement on the 21.6% seen in the first quarter of the year.
Mediaset Premium offers cardholders the opportunity to top-up their cards, the so-called recharges, and subscription known as Easypay.
A recent offer, run jointly between Mediaset, the television manufacturer Samsung, and the conditional access provider Nagravision bundles in a starter subscription for purchasers of new IDTVs.