German network operator Tele Columbus has reported a further erosion of its TV customer base and revenues in the first half of 2025, underlining the structural challenges facing its legacy TV business.
The company, which markets its retail services under the PŸUR brand, ended the second quarter with around 1.1 million TV customers, a decline of 9,000 quarter-on-quarter and 3% year-on-year. Within that figure, single-user contracts fell by 6,000 to 855,000, while premium TV subscriptions were down by 4,000. The operator attributed the slippage to slightly lower bundle penetration in its triple-play packages.
The weaker customer trend was reflected in revenues. TV income dropped by €27.6 million, or 32.6% year-on-year, to €57.2 million in the first half of 2025, despite remaining broadly stable quarter-on-quarter at €28.3 million. This slump outweighed gains in the company’s internet and telephony business, where revenues climbed by €16.7 million (+16.8% YoY) thanks to sustained demand for high-speed broadband.
Overall, group revenues fell by 5.4% year-on-year to €210.6 million in the six-month period. Normalised EBITDA declined by 8.7% to €84.9 million, while reported EBITDA slipped by 10.3% to €60.2 million, hit by lower sales, higher personnel costs and restructuring charges.
Tele Columbus has sought to curb spending, cutting investment by nearly 20% to €74.8 million, with the bulk of outlays still directed towards fibre rollout. Around 80% of new broadband customers in Q2 opted for tariffs of 250Mbps or faster, highlighting the shift in consumer demand from TV towards data services.
