News Corp. reported third quarter earnings of $820 million, more than double the same period a year ago, as a strong performance from the company’s satellite TV operations around the globe offset weaker performance in publishing businesses, the company announced. Revenue improved 2.5 percent to $6.2 billion.

Direct Broadcast Satellite Television unit, Sky Italia, generated operating income of $69 million in the quarter, which ended March 31, rebounding from an operating loss of $21 million a year ago. Revenues grew 17 percent, primarily due to the addition of 472,000 net new subscribers throughout the past 12 months. The subscriber base grew to more than 3.7 million subscribers, News Corp. said. The related revenue growth was partially offset by increased programming costs associated with the larger subscriber base, as well as higher spending primarily due to the broadcast of additional movie titles and new entertainment channels on the basic programming tier.

“We are obviously pleased with the 14 percent operating income growth and two-fold increase in net income we delivered this quarter,” Rupert Murdoch, News Corp.’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “Our growth was as diverse as it was deep: continued subscriber expansion at Sky Italia; ratings success at our broadcast network; sustained momentum across our array of cable channels; and a dramatic increase in equity earnings from DirecTV.

Third quarter net earnings from affiliates were $264 million versus $91 million in the same period a year ago. The $173 million improvement was primarily due to an increased contribution from The DirecTV Group, which is 36.8 percent owned by News Corp., of $61 million on subscriber growth and increased pricing.

BSkyB, which is 37.9 percent owned by News Corp., contributed $100 million to News Corp. during the quarter, down slightly from $107 million in the 2005 third quarter.

The results also included a pre-tax gain of $206 million on the previously announced sale of News Corp’s investment in Innova, a Mexican direct-to-home platform, to DirecTV for $285 million, as well as a favorable impact from foreign currency fluctuations at Sky Brasil, which is 49.7 percent owned by News Corp.