Astro records another strong quarter


The group said its investments continue to be firmly focused on long-term and sustainable growth by elevating local content.

PETALING JAYA: Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd is keeping a cautious outlook, carefully monitoring business conditions and ensuring effective cost discipline moving forward, as it continues an aggressive push to be Malaysia’s number one entertainment and streaming destination.

The group said its investments continue to be firmly focused on long-term and sustainable growth by elevating local content, which it said is its clear competitive advantage; and creating more value for customers, by increasing the volume and diversity of content in lower tiers and reducing entry pricing for Astro and Sooka products.

Releasing its results for the third quarter of the financial year ending Jan 31, 2025 (3Q25), Astro saw a turnaround in fortunes when it posted a net profit of RM46.9mil compared to a loss of RM47.1mil in the same quarter a year earlier, although revenue declined by 9.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM749.7mil.

Cumulatively, for the nine months ended Oct 31, 2024 (9M25), net earnings also jumped back into the black at RM118.7mil, compared to the RM7.5mil loss recorded a year ago, although turnover was again lower by 8.5% y-o-y to RM2.31bil.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Astro said the lower turnover for the quarter and the nine months ended October was due primarily to lower subscription revenue and advertising revenue, but credited favourable unrealised foreign exchange gains arising from unhedged lease liabilities and lower amortisation of intangible assets for the higher net profit.

Compared with the preceding quarter ended July 31, net profit was lower by 14.1% from RM54.7mil, as revenue also dipped 4.8% from RM787.3mil.

Astro said the lower quarterly net earnings was attributable to higher marketing and distribution expenses, broadband costs and impairment of receivables, as a percentage of revenue, while the lower turnover during the quarter was due to a reduction in subscription revenue and sales of programming rights.

As a result of its improved performance, earnings per share rose to 0.9 sen and 2.27 sen respectively for 3Q25 and 9M25, although the company did not declare any dividends for the current financial year.

Being mindful of cost-of-living pressures, Astro said its launch of three streamlined Astro One TV packs was aimed at making it more compelling overall in terms of value, convenience and online safety, with the intent to grow new customers and support advertising trajectory over the long-term. It said content piracy remains its biggest challenge.

“We released our inaugural first half of financial year 2025 Anti-Piracy Report Card detailing our initiatives, actions and wins through a combination of fines, settlements and prosecution.

“We are hopeful that a recent landmark decision, with the court awarding Astro statutory damages without prior settlement for the first time ever, sends a strong message to businesses to stop engaging in piracy and breaching copyright,” it added.

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