Although it continues to lose video customers overall, European conglomerate Liberty Global reported fast growth of its pay-TV customer base using "next-generation" IP video platforms, adding 313,000 TV subscribers in the fourth quarter across its systems.
Liberty said it added 1.2 million users across its TiVo-enabled platform in 2016, operated by Virgin Media in the U.K., its Yelo service in Belgium and its Horizon platforms in mainland Europe.
Liberty introduced the TiVo-powered, cloud-based, 4K-capable V6 set-top box through its Virgin Media service late last year.
“We will also expand the deployment of exciting new products like our 4K cloud-based set-top and our WiFi Connect Box,” Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries told investors during an earnings call Thursday.
Overall, Liberty still lost video subs in Q4—24,400 of them—but it was half as many as the year-ago period.
RELATED: Malone's Liberty Global swings back to profitability, narrows video customer losses in Q2
Liberty also updated its investors on long-gestated DOCSIS 3.1 plans—the operator will begin field testing the CableLabs network technology standard in the latter part of 2017.
Across European video, internet, wireless and landline telephone operations, Liberty added 949,000 revenue-generating units in the fourth quarter, up 24% year over year.
The conglomerate reported fourth-quarter revenue of $4.22 billion (U.S.), down 1.7%.