Sky results show 30% growth for Sky+HD subscribers

Sky has announced that subscribers to its flagship Sky+HD service have reached 3.8 million, a 30 per cent increase year on year.

Despite some tough times with Rupert Murdoch pulling out of a takeover of the company, the annual figures for Sky are largely positive, with revenue up 16 per cent.

"A key factor in our performance is the bringing together of content and innovation to create an experience that customers are willing to pay for," said chief executive Jeremy Darroch.

Atlantic HD

"In an outstanding year onscreen, we have launched Sky Atlantic HD and Sky Living HD, while extending our leadership in high definition and 3D.

"Alongside great content, we are offering customers a better viewing experience with our full video on demand service, Sky Anytime+.

"Also, following the launch of Sky Go this month, all customers can now watch live TV on the move as part of their subscription."

Broadband growth

Helping Sky to that high are another 174,000 broadband customers in the last quarter, the highest growth rate in the past three years and enough to take the total number of subscribers to 3.3 million homes.

Television subscription is not growing at quite the same rate, but 40,000 new customers takes the running total to 10.3 million customers.

And the growth of Sky+HD will also be encouraging to Sky as it looks to rally following a difficult few months.

Interestingly, multiroom is one area that is not seeing any kind of major growth, moving from 2,121,000 in 2010 to 2,250,000 as of June this year.