In Q1 2024 Polsat Plus Group expanded the Plus network 5G coverage to reach 23 million people, while the 5G Ultra technology, with data speeds of up to 1 Gbps, reaches 6 million people. Fiber-optic connections reach 13 million people. TV Polsat spring programming enjoyed high audiences share while Polsat-Interia Group was once again the no. 1 Internet publisher in April. Technological start-up of the Group’s third wind farm, located in Człuchów, is in process.
Major events:
- As many as 23 million of Poland’s inhabitants live within the coverage area of Plus’s 5G network, while 6 million can enjoy the even faster 5G Ultra service. Thanks to the planned aggregation of the new C frequency band spectrum, Plus customers will be able to enjoy 5G Internet access at maximum Internet connection speeds of up to 2 Gbps.
- Polsat-Interia Group remains the leader in Internet services in Poland. Having the coverage of 20.9 million RU, Polsat-Interia Group ranked no. 1 among Internet publishers in Poland for the second time this year. According to a Mediapanel survey (April 2024), it overtook Wirtualna Polska Group and RAS Polska Group (Onet) by nearly 60 thousand RU and 510 thousand RU, respectively.
- Polsat’s sports channels changed their names: Polsat Sport to Polsat Sport 1, Polsat Sport Extra to Polsat Sport 2, and Polsat Sport News to Polsat Sport 3. Polsat Sport remains the main brand and it is one of the strongest media brands in Poland. Thanks to simplification of the names, navigation across Polsat’s offer of sports channels has become easier.
- TV Polsat extended its cooperation with UFC which now has the top contestants from all over the world, including Poland, in its line-up. Thanks to this, the galas organized by the biggest promoter of mixed martial arts in the world can be watched by Polish fans nearly every weekend now.
- Polsat Box and Plus offer new streaming packages: All In Streaming offered by Plus includes access to three popular streaming platforms, namely Disney+, HBO MAX and Polsat Box Go Plus for only 49.99 PLN monthly; Stream+ in Polsat Box means access to Disney+ and HBO Max (including 3 HBO channels) for 49.99 PLN monthly, while Polsat Box subscribers can also enjoy free access to TV channels and the content offered as part of their respective package via Polsat Box Go service.
- Netia is the first operator in Poland and in the region to have introduced into its B2B offer the cloud TV service for hotels, i.e. a head-end-less service.
- In Q1 2024 Polsat Plus Group’s RES generated nearly 200 GWh of electricity: 52 GWh from wind, 12 GWh from the sun and 135 GWh from biomass burning.
- Technical start-up of the wind farm located in Człuchow, which offers 72.6 MW of power, began in February 2024, while Przyrów farm, offering power capacity of 50.4 MW, saw completion of installation of wind turbines ahead of schedule. This year the Group will have more than 330 MW of installed green energy capacity, while in 2026 the capacity will increase to nearly 750 MW.
- Following a tender, the authorities of the town of Chełm selected PAK Polski Autobus Wodorowy, which is the Group’s member company, as the supplier of 26 zero-emission, ecological Nesobus hydrogen city buses. The buses will be delivered in three lots, with final delivery on 30 October 2025. It has been the third major order for NesoBuses, following Rybnik and Gdańsk. NesoBuses are manufactured in the Group’s factory in Swidnik.
- Hydrogen-powered cars owned by Polsat Plus Group drove a million kilometers. Zero-emission of carbon dioxide and the ability to purify the air are the distinctive features of these cars which ideally blend with the Group’s ecological mission. Polsat Plus Group’s hydrogen refueling stations, which operate under NESO brand, already operate in Warsaw and Rybnik, with further stations expected to be launched this year in Gdansk, Gdynia, Wroclaw and Lublin.
“Plus’s 5G network coverage is already available to 23 million of Poland’s inhabitants, with 5G Ultra technology, offering data rates of up to 1 Gbps, being available to 6 million people. Our fiber optic network reaches 13 million people. We invest in our TV programming offer, including even better sports and new TV series. Technical start-up of another wind farm, located in Człuchów, is in progress, while the town of Chełm ordered 26 NesoBus hydrogen buses from us,” says Mirosław Błaszczyk, President of the Management Board of Cyfrowy Polsat and Polkomtel, Polsat Plus Group.
Segment of B2C and B2B services – consistent implementation of our multiplay strategy
Polsat Plus Group is providing over 20 million telecommunication and TV services (RGUs), while 2.5 million of our customers use multiplay offers, thus enjoying tangible benefits by bundling Polsat Box and Plus services. Average revenue per contract customer increased by 4.5% YoY in Q1 2024 and reached 74.6 PLN, while the churn level for B2C customers remains low, at 7.6% annually.
“Despite unfavorable market conditions, the number of subscribers using our multiplay services remains at a stable, high level of 2.5 million, which constitutes 43% of all our customers,” says Maciej Stec, the Vice-President of the Management Board responsible of Polsat Plus Group’s strategy. “Thanks to the consistent pursuit of our 5G strategy and popularization of 5G technology, we have been effectively consolidating the value and the loyalty of our customers. ARPU has increased across all groups of B2C and B2B contract customers as well as in the case of prepaid customers, while churn remains low, at 7.6%,” adds Maciej Stec.
Polsat Plus Group serves nearly 70 thousand B2B clients. Thanks to the successively expanded offer of advanced ICT services, including cloud solutions, data center and cybersecurity solutions, the average revenue per unit for this group of customers increased by 3.9% YoY in Q1, to nearly 1.5 thousand PLN monthly.
Media segment: TV and online services –Polsat-Interia Group is the no. 1 in the Internet
In Q1 2024 the total audience share of TV Polsat channels was 21.5% – 7.1% for the main Polsat channel and 14.4% for the theme channels. TV Polsat’s revenue generated from advertising and sponsoring grew by 8% and reached 307 million PLN, while TV advertising market share was 28.1%.
In Q1 Polsat-Interia Group’s Internet services were accessed by 21 million users monthly on the average, generating ca. 2 billion page views.
“It was a very good quarter for TV Polsat. Our spring scheduling recorded very good audience results. The total audience share of our channels was 21.5% while our revenue from advertising demonstrated strong growth – by 8% YoY,” says Piotr Żak, the acting President of the Management Board of TV Polsat, a Polsat Plus Group company. “We continue to grow in the online segment. In April Polsat-Interia Group, with its 20.9 million users, was once again the number 1 among Internet publishers,” adds Piotr Żak.
Green energy segment – further wind farms, construction of NESO refueling stations
In Q1 2024 Polsat Plus Group generated around 200 GWh of green power from the sun, wind and biomass burning. Technological start-up of the Group’s third wind farm, located in Człuchow (72.6 MW) is in progress, while wind turbines have been already installed at Przyrow farm (50.4 MW).
“We have started generation of green energy from all sources. During this quarter alone we generated and sold 200 GWh of green energy at an average price of 651 PLN/MWh. As much as 52 GWh of energy was generated by the 100 MW wind farms, and the plan is to increase the installed capacity by ca. 200 MW in Przyrow and Drzezew by the end of 2025,” says Maciej Stec, the Vice-President of the Management Board responsible of Polsat Plus Group’s strategy. “As announced, sale of own green energy generated positive contribution to the Group’s bottom line – 130 million zloty of revenue has given us 47 million PLN in EBITDA. In accordance with the assumptions of our Strategy 2023+, the new energy business will be generating ca. 500-600 million PLN of incremental EBITDA in the long run,” adds Maciej Stec.
Following Warsaw and Rybnik, NESO hydrogen refueling stations are being built in Gdansk, Gdynia, Wroclaw and Lublin. The hydrogen bus factory in Swidnik delivered NesoBuses for Rybnik (20 units) i Gdansk (10 units), while fulfillment of the order for Chełm (26 units) is in progress.
Polsat Plus Group’s financial results
Polsat Plus Group’s revenues increased by 6.4% YoY in Q1 and reached 3.4 billion PLN, while comparable1 EBITDA increased by 1.5%, reaching 772 million PLN, with net profit at 184 million PLN
“It was a very good quarter in terms of financial results. We noted very good results in the green energy segment– 130 million PLN of revenue from sale of own energy and 47 million of EBITDA. Additionally, the consistent implementation of our multiplay strategy translated to growth of ARPU across all customer groups as well as growth of retail revenue by more than 2%. Our revenue from TV advertising increased by 8%, while TV advertising market continues to develop very well,” says Katarzyna Ostap-Tomann, a Management Board Member of Cyfrowy Polsat responsible for finance and the Vice-President responsible for finance at Polkomtel, Polsat Plus Group.
1 Excluding sale of assets (164 million PLN); EBITDA adjusted for the profit from sale of a subsidiary and affiliate in Q1 2024 (10 million PLN).
