NTL, Telewest announce joint results

NTL and Telewest announced their Q4 2005 results jointly today, with Telewest emerging as the stronger performer of the pair.

The move - the first time the operators have announced jointly - comes ahead of a stockholder vote on their proposed merger this Thursday (March 2).

NTL reported around 10,000 customer additions in the period, while Telewest managed 20,000.

Breaking down triple play, broadband led the field for both companies, with NTL adding 107,000 and Telewest 85,000.

NTL's digital TV subscriber base increased by 43,000 - 39,000 of which were analogue upgrades - while Telewest added 43,000, or a net of 19,000.

As for revenue, NTL reported takings of £484.6 million, down from £512.3 million in Q4 2004, and a net loss of £56 million.

Telewest's revenues increased from £336 million to £425 million, while its net loss was reduced to £14 million.

"During the quarter, both companies continued to make considerable strides in enchancing their customer base," said Stephen Burch, NTL CEO. "As we enter 2006, our efforts will be focused on successfully integrating NTL and Telewest."