Media growth provides bright spot for Intelsat

Satellite operator Intelsat saw fourth quarter revenues slide to US$619 million from US$642 million last year, with transponder services recording a fall from US$494 million to US$475 million. However, media revenues grew from US$218 million to US$226 million, with most of the lost sales attributed to network services and government services.

Media accounted for 37% of all company revenues for the quarter. The company posted fourth quarter net income of US$16.2 million.

“In 2014, we were able to deliver strong Adjusted EBITDA and cash flow in a challenging environment, meeting our guidance targets on all metrics. We also completed a debt pay down of $475 million and funded investments in our network. However, the continuation of the trends we experienced in 2014, such as pricing pressures in certain regions and applications, reduced U.S. government spending, and rising geopolitical challenges, compounded with services nearing the end of lifecycle, is creating ongoing headwinds for our business in 2015 and into 2016. We are taking action to counterbalance these trends, focusing our resources on laying the groundwork that will position us to return to growth as our new media satellites and next generation satellites enter service in mid-2016 and 2017,” said chairman and CEO David McGlade.

“The path forward for us is clear: design, build and place into service new satellite capacity; introduce services that leverage our ground network and networking capabilities; and develop advanced ground technologies and other innovations that will simplify access to our satellites. Through these initiatives, combined with supporting the growth of our core customers and optimizing the use of our orbital rights and global presence, we will enhance our ability to address larger and higher growth applications. By executing on these priorities, we will be positioned for success once our new inventory becomes available.”