BENGALURU: The addition of 6.1 lakh gross subscribers and 4.6 lakh net subscribers in Q1-2016 (quarter ended 30 June, 2015), coupled with higher average revenue per user (ARPU) for Q1-2016, resulted in a y-o-y 32.1 per cent growth in subscription revenue and 23.3 per cent growth in revenue from operations (TIO) in Q1-2016 for Videocon d2h.

On a q-o-q basis, subscription revenue increased 3.7 per cent, while TIO increased six per cent. The company also reported a marked fall in finance costs and consequently, the company’s loss in the current quarter more than halved to Rs 24.4 crore as compared to the Rs 55.8 crore in Q1-2015 and was less than a third of the Rs 75.7 crore in Q4-015.

Videocon achieved strong subscription revenue growth of 32.1 per cent to Rs 599.61 crore (90.5 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2016 as compared to the Rs 453.77 crore (84.4 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and growth of 3.7 per cent as compared to the Rs 578.33 crore (92.5 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.

Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

TIO in Q1-2016 at Rs 662.83 crore was 23.3 per cent more than the Rs 537.65 crore in Q1-2015 and six per cent more than the Rs 625.27 crore in Q4-2015.

Average revenue per user (ARPU) in Q1-2016 at Rs 205.30 was 9.7 per cent more than the Rs 187.14 in the corresponding year ago quarter and was 1.5 per cent more than the Rs 202.17 in Q4-2015. (Conversion rate from 1 dollar = 62.59 Indian rupee for all the three quarters).

The company’s finance costs in Q1-2016 reduced 26.8 per cent to Rs 76.5 crore (11.5 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 104.5 crore (19.4 per cent of TIO) in the corresponding year ago quarter and was an impressive 41.2 per cent lower than the Rs 130.1 crore (20.8 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015. 

Videocon d2h executive chairman Saurabh Dhoot said, “We are pleased to declare a strong set of results for the quarter ended 30 June, 2015 and are on track to achieve the guidance provided for fiscal 2016. With a strong subscriber growth outlook, DTH sector gaining market share over cable and an improving ARPU scenario; we believe we are just at the beginning of a multi-year strong growth opportunity.”

During this quarter, Videocon d2h added three proprietary channels and also set up an advertising team to sell ad inventory for the same. These channels are d2h nursery rhymes, d2h Cinema HD and a music channel. Additionally, it also added three Active services, namely, Active Kids, Active Games and Active Learning during the quarter, which have started getting traction from customers.

Dhoot added, “I am happy to share that we recently set up an advertising team to sell ad inventory on our own proprietary channels. We are beginning to see an encouraging response from multiple advertisers.”

Issuance of bonus shares

The board of directors of the company, at their meeting held on 22 July, 2015, determined that the Initial Performance Hurdle has been achieved and satisfied and hence has approved, subject to approval of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and such other approvals and consents as may be required under the applicable regulations, the issuance of 23,360,000 equity shares (equivalent to 5,840,000 ADSs) to the shareholders of the company as of the date of the Contribution Agreement and the issuance of 3,999,984 equity shares (equivalent to 999,996 ADSs) to the sponsor by way of a bonus issue, in accordance with the terms of the Contribution Agreement and the Articles of Association of the Company. Further, Saurabh Dhoot also becomes entitled to receive 1,400,000 (equivalent to 350,000 ADSs) equity shares of the Company.

The Initial Performance Hurdle was that the last sales price of the Videocon d2h ADSs on NASDAQ (converted into Indian rupees on each such day at the Indian Rupee/U.S. Dollar Exchange Rate on such date) for 20 trading days in a 30-trading day period equals or exceeds 125 per cent of the Listing Price (i.e. price per ADS issued to the SEAC Distribution Record Holders converted into Indian rupees at the Indian Rupee/U.S Dollar Exchange Rate prevailing on the Closing Date, March 31, 2015).

Let us look at the other numbers reported by Videocon d2h

The company’s EBIDTA (operating profit) in Q1-2016 increased 26.3 per cent to Rs 187.43 crore (28.3 per cent margin) from Rs 148.45 crore (27.6 per cent margin) in Q1-2015 and increased 15.9 per cent from Rs 161.77 crore (25.9 per cent margin) in Q4-2015.

Videocon d2h total expenditure (TE) in Q1-2016 increased 20.3 per cent to Rs 618.1 crore (93.3 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 513.7 crore (95.5 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and increased 2.2 per cent as compared to the Rs 604.5 crore (96.7 per cent of TIO)

Videocon d2h’s operating expense in Q1-2016 at Rs 379.1 crore (57.2 per cent of TIO) was 22.7 per cent more than the Rs 309 crore (57.5 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and was 4.2 per cent more than the Rs 363.7 crore (58.2 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.

The company says that its content cost as percentage of revenue in Q1-2016 was 37 per cent as compared to 32.7 per cent in Q1-2015 and 38.4 per cent in the immediate trailing quarter.

Videocon d2h’s selling and distribution expense in the current quarter increased 17.8 per cent to Rs 50.9 crore (7.7 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 43.2 crore (8 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and increased 10.4 per cent as compared to the Rs 46.1 crore (7.4 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.

Administrative and other expense in Q1-2016 increased 15 per cent to Rs 14.6 crore (2.2 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 12.7 crore (2.4 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015, but reduced by 42.3 per cent as compared to the Rs 25.3 crore (four per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.

Employee Benefit Expense in Q1-2016 increased 26.6 per cent to Rs 30.9 crore (4.7 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 24.4 crore (4.5 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and was 8.4 per cent more than the Rs 28.5 crore (4.6 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.

Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera said, “We believe around 10 crore homes will be up for grabs by digital cable and DTH operators in the next four – five years. DTH should gain higher market share in Phase III and IV of the Government of India digitization plan in comparison to the prior phases. We are excited and prepared to take on the significant subscriber growth opportunity ahead of us, as we approach the Phase III digitization deadline. While actual implementation could take time, we continue to believe the government has a strong intent to switch off analogue cable as per the plan.”