2 February 2009
Satellite broadcaster Sky said it added 171,000 new digital TV customers during the second quarter of the financial year. The company now has a total of 9.24 million subscribers, more than half of whom have Sky+ or Sky+ high definition (HD) services, according to the Digital TV Group. Sky's revenues for the six months to December 2008 rose by 6% to £2.6 billion. Analysts believe the increase in subscription numbers could be a result of the economic downturn, with more people choosing to stay at home. Chief Executive Jeremy Darroch said: "In a very challenging economic environment, we have delivered a great set of results by focusing on quality, value and service for our customers." Sky now plans to recruit another 1,000 engineers and call centre workers to help it cope with increased demand for its HD offerings. Research body Thinkbox found recently that the average UK consumer watched 26 hours and 18 minutes of broadcast television a week in 2008 - 48 minutes more than in 2007.