Videocon d2h continues top and bottom line increase in Q3-17

Videocon d2h continues top and bottom line increase in Q3-17

Saurabh Dhoot

BENGALURU: Continuing the trend is has set in the previous two quarters, Videocon d2h reported a profit after tax (PAT) for the quarter ended 31 December 2016 (Q3-17, current quarter). The DTH major reported PAT of Rs 21.77 crore (2.8 percent margin) for the current quarter. It had reported PAT of Rs 6.32 crore (0.8 percent margin) for Q2-17, and Rs 2.66 crore (0.3 percent margin) for Q1-16. For the corresponding year ago quarter (Q3-17), the company had reported a loss of Rs 22.05 crore.

Since the beginning of the current fiscal (1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017), Videocon d2h has started reporting numbers net of entertainment tax, hence like-to-like comparisons for Q3-17 and Q3-16 are not comparable. However, the company has mentioned a few adjusted matrices for ease of comparison in its investor presentation and release.

Videocon d2h reported revenue from operations came in at Rs 777 crore in Q3-17. It says that on a like to like basis, revenue from operations would have been up 14.2 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) at Rs 835 crore if the company was to compute its revenue from operations for Q3-17 under its former accounting treatment

The DTH major also reported 13.3 percent y-o-y growth in net subscriber numbers at 127.7 lakh for Q3-17 as compared to 112.70 lakh and a 2 percent quarter-over-quarter (q-o-q) growth from125.2 lakh. Monthly Average revenue per user (ARPU) in the current quarter came in lower at Rs 205 as compared to Rs 209 in the immediate trailing quarter.

Subscriber matrices

Subscriber acquisition cost (SAC) in Q2-17 was higher at Rs 1,924 as compared to Rs 1,869 in the immediate trailing quarter.

Subscriber monthly churn in the current quarter was lower at 0.87 percent as compared to 0.95 percent in Q2-17. In Q3-16, it was slightly lower at 0.73 percent.

DAS III and IV are sunshine periods for the television carriage industry. Activation revenues have been adding to the top lines and bottom lines of most of the players. Videocon d2h computed subscription and activation revenue in the current quarter was Rs 711.2 crore as compared to Rs 710.7 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.

Let us look at some of the other metrics reported by Videocon d2h

Adjusted EBIDTA grew 33.2 percent y-o-y to Rs 267 crore (35.4 percent margin) in Q3-17.

Content cost margin came in at 39.6 percent of revenue in Q3-17 s compared to content costs margin in Q2-17 of 38.7 percent.

Employee benefit expense in Q3-17 was 0.6 percent lower at Rs 30.21 crore as compared to Rs 30.41 crore in Q3-16 and 4.2 percent lower than Rs 31.5 crore in Q2-17.

Net finance cost in Q3-17 was lower at Rs 65.31 crore, in Q2-17 was Rs 71.7 crore; in Q3-16 net finance cost was Rs 71.74 crore.

Company speak

Commenting on the results and company outlook, Videocon d2h executive chairman Saurabh Dhoot, said, “I am delighted to report that we have delivered a strong quarter, despite the moderation due to currency demonetisation, which temporarily affected consumer sentiments and consumption. Our adjusted EBITDA grew over 33% year on year, which clearly demonstrates the strength of our distribution and customer service network and above all our team’s strong execution. We are entering 2017 in a whole new mode and are excited about the business fundamentals and growth opportunities supported by our healthy balance sheet and growing free cash flows.”

Speaking on the results, Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera said, “I am happy to share that the digitization process has kick started once again as the Delhi High Court cleared all stay orders and ordered switch off of analogue signals in Phase III digitization areas by January 31, 2017. We remain excited about the significant Phase IV digitization opportunity, the new deadline for which is March 31, 2017.”

Note: The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee - Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:

(a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.

(b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

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