BSkyB beats customer growth forecasts

LONDON (Reuters) - Pay-TV firm BSkyB (BSY.L) added 92,000 net new customers in its fourth quarter, comfortably ahead of forecasts, and said there was still room to grow despite the economic uncertainty.

Churn, or the percentage of total customers who dropped their subscriptions, was 9.8 percent and the lowest level since 2005, while annualised average revenue per user increased to 427 pounds.

Analysts have said BSkyB could find it harder to attract new customers if there is a significant spending slowdown, making the churn level all the more important.

It added 200,000 broadband customers in the quarter, also ahead of analysts' forecasts of 192,000, and 321,000 customers for the Sky+ digital recorder.

"We have continued to grow strongly in a more difficult consumer environment," Chief Executive Jeremy Darroch said in a statement.

"While there is much uncertainty around the consumer environment, there remains good headroom for profitable growth in our core sectors."

The group posted full-year revenue up 9 percent at 4.95 billion pounds and adjusted operating profit of 752 million pounds due to investment in broadband and telephony and an exceptional charge.

Analysts had been expecting net additions of 84,000 in the quarter, with full-year revenues of 4.99 billion pounds and adjusted operating profit of 754 million pounds, according to a Reuters poll of 11 brokers.

(Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Paul Bolding)