Pace rides US media boom July 30, 2013 PACE, the Yorkshire-based provider of set-top TV boxes, yesterday said its first-half profits had tripled thanks to huge sales growth in the North American market. A massive increase in demand in the US for media servers – devices that transmit TV and internet feeds to the screens of laptops, tablet and smartphones – means the [...]
BSkyB revenues rise ahead of BT battle July 26, 2013 BRITISH Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) today posted a seven per cent increase in full-year revenues to £7.2bn, as it gears up for a battle with an increasingly aggressive BT. The satellite broadcaster’s earnings rose eight per cent to £1.7bn and operating profit rose nine per cent to £1.3bn over the period. With mere weeks to go [...]
BT Sport signs up 500,000 in battle with Sky July 25, 2013 HALF a million homes are ready to receive BT’s new sports channels when they launch on 1 August, it was announced yesterday. The company says more than 500,000 households have already signed up to access the new service, which represents a billion pound punt by the telecoms giant and puts it in direct competition with [...]
Bottom Line: Beware the hype, this game’s only just kicked off July 25, 2013 IT HASN’T even started broadcasting yet, but BT Sport has already cost the group £40m – or one Luis Suarez – in pre-launch expenses. Yesterday outgoing chief executive Ian Livingston was keen to highlight the 500,000-odd households that have signed up for the new service, which goes live next Tuesday. But take a closer look at the [...]
BT Sport signs up half a million pre-launch July 25, 2013 TELECOMS company BT today said more than half a million households have ordered its new sports offering to challenge Sky Sports, as it reports a smaller than expected decline in first quarter profit and revenue. BT Sport is being launched in August as part of the British firm’s plan to compete with Sky and [...]
BT reports profit and revenues fall in second quarter July 25, 2013 Telecoms company BT has reported a revenues fall of one per cent, down to £4.449bn, for the period from the first quarter to 30 June (release). The biggest revenues fallers were Wholesale (down six per cent) and Global Services and Openreach (both down by two per cent). Profit before tax fell by 16 per cent [...]
Keothavong happy time is right to hang up her racquet for good July 24, 2013 FORMER British No1 Anne Keothavong feels she is leaving the women’s national game in safe hands, after announcing her retirement from professional tennis yesterday. The 29-year-old’s career has been curtailed by two serious knee injuries, dragging her to 285th in the world rankings, with her final appearance coming on Centre Court at Wimbledon last month [...]
Monarchy’s extraordinary longevity is good for UK capitalism July 22, 2013 SO it is a boy, a Prince and our future King. It’s wonderful news for his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to whom we send our heartfelt congratulations; and an important moment for the country. The BBC and ITV interrupted their schedules; bankers’ toasted the Prince at a banquet in the City; town [...]
London Report: Data suggests UK economy is in good health July 21, 2013 THE UK economy is showing improving health, according to statistics out this week that are expected to reveal growth throughout the second quarter. The economy is forecast to have grown 0.6 per cent in the second quarter, accelerating from 0.3 per cent in the first three months of the year. The Office for National Statistics [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 18 July 2013 July 17, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Higher salaries to offset bonus cap Four out of five European banks plan to raise executive base salaries to counter regulation-driven bonus cuts next year, potentially undermining the effectiveness of the planned variable pay cap in bringing down pay. An EU-wide bonus cap will from 2014 limit variable pay to up to twice [...]