A hike in subscribers for French pay-TV big Canal+ Group in addition to a profitable 12 months on the field workplace in France for Studiocanal helped drive constructive 2023 outcomes for father or mother firm Vivendi, which had been launched Thursday night after the shut of the native inventory alternate.
The media and communications big posted a web revenue of $443M (€405M) after a lack of $1.07B (1.01B Euros) for 2022, linked to the deconsolidation of its Telecom Italia stake.
Full-year income rose 9.5% to $11.4M (€10.5M), towards $10.1B (€9.6B) in 2022. Earnings earlier than curiosity, taxes, and amortisation (EBITA) rose by 7.5% year-on-year to $1.02B (€934M), towards $915M (€868M) in 2022.
Regardless of the constructive outcomes, the Vivendi share value was traded decrease in Paris on Friday morning, with analysts citing the dearth of an replace on plans to separate the group into separate entities, first introduced final December, as an element weighing on the title.
Vivendi CEO Yannick Bolloré gave little away about these plans within the outcomes report, saying merely that the break up undertaking was “persevering with”.
“If it goes forward, this undertaking would create worth for all of the Group’s stakeholders and would allow the creation of impartial pure gamers with the mandatory human assets and monetary agility, able to driving their very own progress trajectory in a world context marked by quite a few funding alternatives,” he added.
Vivendi stated the constructive outcomes had been pushed by the performances of the Canal+ Group and its subsidiary Studiocanal in addition to that of communications group Havas and the combination of publishing and retail big Lagardère, its acquisition of which lastly acquired the greenlight in 2023.
“Canal+ Group efficiently pursued its worldwide growth, notably in Asia, the Nordic international locations and Africa. It added practically 900,000 new subscribers over the 12 months, each in France and overseas,” stated Vivendi chairman Arnaud de Puyfontaine.
“On the similar time, Canal+ continued to develop its content material providing and entered into main partnerships, whereas Studiocanal loved a report 12 months in cinema.”
A breakdown of the Canal+ Group’s efficiency confirmed that its subscriber portfolio had risen to 26.4 million subscribers by the tip of 2023, in comparison with 25.5 million on the finish of 2022.
Revenues from tv operations in mainland France elevated by 3.3%, pushed by progress within the subscriber base and Common Income Per Person (ARPU), with an extra 290,000 subscribers becoming a member of to offer 9.8 million subscribers in whole.
Worldwide operations noticed a 1.2% enhance in income in comparison with 2022, with an extra 575,000 subscribers enrolling for the Canal+ providing to offer a complete of of 16.6 million subscribers outdoors of France by the 12 months of 2023.
Canal+ Group subsidiary Studiocanal loved a report 12 months on the French field workplace because of the efficiency of Alibi.com 2, which generated 4M admissions, drama All Your Faces (1.2M entries) and Cannes-selected hit The Animal Kingdom (1.1M entries).
Different key developments for the pay-TV big cited within the outcomes report included the launch of a brand new streaming platform within the Netherlands in addition to the renewal of its unique take care of Warner Bros. Discovery, underneath which it is ready to broadcast hits corresponding to Barbie to subscribers six months after their field workplace launch in France.
The group additionally famous the completion of the Canal+ Group’s acquisition of he OCS pay-TV bundle and Orange Studio on January 31 of this 12 months, following approval from the French Competitors Authority.
In an indication of Canal+ Group’s burgeoning worldwide ambitions, the report additionally gave an replace on its holdings in worldwide pay-TV operators Viaplay, Viu and the MultiChoice Group.
It famous that the corporate presently held a 29.33% stake in Nordic platform Viaplay, whereas it had elevated its place in Asian streamer Viu to 30% on February 26 as part of its technique to extend its footprint in Asia.
The report additionally gave a recap of the Canal+ Group’s transfer to change into the bulk proprietor of the South African-based, pan-African platform MultiChoice Group, noting its new March 5 provide to pay R125 ($6.7) per share, in a deal it stated valued the MultiChoice Group at $2.8B (€2.6B) (treasury shares excluded).
Vivendi will maintain its Normal Shareholders’ Assembly on April 29.
