The forecast shows a 13.7% rise in third-quarter revenues from the £706m it reported in the same quarter last year, bringing its nine-month total revenues to £2.3bn and pushing shares in the broadcaster up to 664p.
Average revenue per user, the average amount each customer spends in a year, rose to £360, up from £351 in the last quarter, as the effects of a price increase begin to take effect.
Subscriptions to Sky Digital look set to pass the 6.7m mark, as the broadcaster heads for its target of 7m by the year end. However, growth looks slower than in the second quarter of 2002, when it rose by 244,000. Churn is expected to be flat on the last quarter at 9.4%, its lowest level to date.
Morgan Stanley said revenues from cable have declined, although Sky last week announced a new agreement with Telewest for its premium channels and it expects to agree a similar deal with NTL.
However, the launch of Freeview last October is thought to have had an impact on Sky sales. A report last month suggested that sales of Freeview boxes on the high street had overtaken Sky's by six to one and that the digital terrestrial service had sold 500,000 boxes since launch.
BSkyB will report its third-quarter results on Tuesday May 13.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
.jpg)
.jpg)