[Satellite Today 02-11-09] Eutelsat Communications has reported a close to eight percent increase in overall revenues for the six months to the end of December. This was one of the highlights of its first half results issued Feb. 10. For the six months to the end of December, the operator reported revenues of 463.5 million euros ($601.4 million), an eight percent increase compared to the same stage last year.
    Such is the operator’s performance, that Eutelsat is now forecasting stronger revenues for the 2008-2009 financial year. Eutelsat is raising its FY2008-2009 revenue objective to more than 910 million euros ($1.18 billion), up from more than 900 million euros ($1.16 billion).
Once again, it was the company’s performance in the video applications arena, which fuelled Eutelsat’s revenue growth. For the six months to the end of December, the operator had revenues from video applications of 336.6 million euros ($436.7 million), a 5.4 percent increase compared to the same stage last year. In fact, Eutelsat reported revenue increases all across the different sectors of its business.
    The company is also successfully riding the HD wave. At the end of December, it had 73 HD channels broadcast via its satellites, more than double compared to the end of Dec. 2007, when it had only 31 HD channels broadcast via its satellites.