Satellite Operator Financials in State of Transition

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 11, 2017 -- NSR’s Satellite Operator Financial Analysis, 7^th Edition, releasing tomorrow, finds in an industry fraught with falling prices and indebted behemoths, satellite operators are playing a more aggressive game to find growth. A shift in emphasis, away from the broadcast-dominated days, into a brave new world of HTS, LEOs and MEOs, with radical and sometimes risky changes that are expected to move operator financials forward.

In 2016, top-line operator revenues declined in USD terms by just under 3%, as the Euro-Dollar exchange rate stabilized and emerging market currencies, such as the Brazilian Real, rebounded. (The latter event lead to Star One posting a sizzling 46% USD-denominated revenue growth rate.) A continued downward momentum of revenues per transponder continued as data markets suffered and several operators saw their cash piles wind down due to acquisition or paying down debt.

“To counter the stagnation of traditional capacity business, operators are making big, potentially risky plays. These moves have been prominent last year and so far in 2017. This shows most clearly in SES’s financials—the company’s EBITDA margin dropped from 74.2% to 70.2% (though 73.7% using same scope),” notes Blaine Curcio, Principal Analyst at NSR and report co-author. “This was a result of the company making a big bet by acquiring full ownership of O3b, and a less publicized, but perhaps as important move in acquiring RR Media. For an industry that has long-prized its sky-high EBITDA margins, this was quite a bold statement,” adds Curcio.

Other noteworthy examples of operators upping the ante include Intelsat and OneWeb’s proposed merger, Telesat’s potential LEO-HTS play, and the proposed GEO-HTS mobility constellation spearheaded by Hong Kong-based APT Satellite through a Mainland Chinese Joint Venture. Conspicuously absent from the table is Eutelsat, with the company sticking to its guns of high-margin video hotspots and broadband, with the strategic implications of all the above developments and more discussed within the study.

“2016 also saw operators becoming more competitive in their respective international data/mobility markets, with heavy discounts on bulk contracts for customer acquisition. This was well complemented with an emphasis on curbing CAPEX and OPEX to offset pressure on top line revenues, and, more importantly, checking their debt profiles with majority of them undertaking partial or full debt refinancing,” notes Gagan Agrawal, Analyst at NSR and a report co-author. “This cost savings trend is expected to continue, giving leeway to operators to manage their cash flow better and hedge against lower EBITDA margins arising from service oriented businesses un-commoditizing capacity, which itself became necessary due to downward pricing pressures in data and mobility markets. It’s truly a paradigm shift, as satellite operators look for growth in other parts of media and connectivity value chains,” adds Agrawal.

About the Report
NSR’s Satellite Operator Financial Analysis, 7^th Edition, provides industry-leading analysis and comprehensive research on all aspects relating to the financial side of the FSS and MSS sector. With financial data taken from 8 fully-reporting operators, 8 partially-reporting operators, and 11 other operators from which data was derived from industry-recognized sources, SOFA7 is unparalleled in its level of detail and scope of data, supplemented by unique NSR analysis and insights. With over 200 tables and charts, and data from 2010 to 2016, SOFA7 is the definitive tool for understanding the answers to strategic questions surrounding the financial side of the FSS and MSS sector. SOFA7 is a multi-client report now available from NSR. For additional information on this report, including a full table of contents, list of exhibits, and executive summary, please visit www.nsr.com, or call NSR at +1-617-674-7743.

About NSR
NSR is the leading global market research and consulting firm focused on the satellite and space sectors. NSR’s global team, unparalleled coverage and anticipation of trends with a higher degree of confidence and precision than the competition is the cornerstone of all NSR offerings.  First to market coverage and a transparent, dependable approach sets NSR apart as the key provider of critical insight to the satellite and space industries.  Contact us at [email protected] to discuss how we can assist your business.

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