• Revenue +1% y-o-y to RM1.06bn
• PATAMI +91% y-o-y to RM141mn
• Adex +21% y-o-y to RM109mn
• Go Shop +21% y-o-y to RM115mn
• First interim dividend of 1.5 sen per share
Tun Zaki Azmi, Chairman of Astro, said: “Astro posted strong recovery in Q1FY22 amid reimposition of lockdown. Astro continued to be cash generative, cost disciplined and proactive in its capital management. The Board has declared a first interim dividend of 1.5 sen per share.”
Henry Tan, Group Chief Executive Officer of Astro said: “FY22 promises to be an actionpacked year. We continue to execute on our strategy and in June, we introduced 2 new streaming services: sooka featuring live sports and winning local content for millennials and Disney+ Hotstar with amazing content at an incredible value. Customers can look forward to more exciting additions as we push ahead with our ambition to be Malaysia’s #1 aggregator of the best streaming services.”
“Our Ultra and Ulti Box, already in over 300k homes are giving customers a new viewing experience. Astro GO, enhanced with ‘pre-access’ and ‘download’ features, has 1.4mn monthly active users with an average weekly viewing time of 213 minutes, while On Demand videos streamed tripled to 100mn. Our broadband base grew around 80% y-o-y, as more customers bundled broadband with their content packages for convenience and value.”
Key Highlights
• Disney+ Hotstar: Our Movies Pack customers can now stream more than 800 films and 18,000 episodes of Disney’s amazing content on Disney+ Hotstar at an incredible value
• sooka: The newest streaming service uniquely targeted at Malaysian millennials. In addition to the free tier, viewers can unlock the world’s best live sports, record-setting local entertainment and exclusive sooka originals at affordable price points
- Compelling Astro Originals:
Muzikal Lawak Superstar 2 (1.7mn TV Viewership) o The Maid (877k TV Viewership)
o Sepahtu Reunion Al Puasa 2021 (870k TV Viewership)
• Astro First, the destination for local films:
o #1 local film, 18 Puasa Di Kampong Pisang (RM5.0mn)
o Penunggang Agama (RM3.0mn) o Hantu Bonceng 2.0 (RM2.1mn)
o Astro First revenue jumped 83% y-o-y to RM11.2mn
• Biggest Sporting Events in 4K HDR:
o Sports Pack customers will get more value and the most premium viewing experience with this year’s biggest sporting events – the UEFA EURO 2020™ and selected Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 events in 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range) and Dolby Atmos on the Ultra Box.
o Astro brings the best coverage of the Olympics over 13 dedicated HD channels, with exclusive coverage of Malaysian athletes’ key moments on Astro Arena
• ADEX Recovers: Underpinned by live vernacular signatures and compelling Astro Originals, Adex grew 21% y-o-y to RM109mn, outperforming the 9% advertising industry growth. However, the ongoing lockdowns continue to dampen revenue performance in Adex, where clients have been cautious; and in the Commercial Establishment and Hotel business, impacted by low traffic and occupancy. TV viewership share was stable at 72%. Radex, TV Adex and Digital Adex share stood at 78%, 39% and 3% respectively. Astro Radio brands continued to rank No. 1 across all languages, reaching 17mn weekly radio listeners (FM and digital), while Astro digital brands registered over 13mn monthly unique visitors
• Reinventing Radio: Plans are underway to reinvent and digitise radio with a focus on everything audio - including podcasts and customised content for the new generation of streamers and digital natives
• Go Shop Serves More Online Shoppers: Registered customers rose 23% y-o-y to 2.9mn and Q1 revenue increased by 21% to RM115mn
• Social Impact: Astro currently ranks among the top 10 percentile of media companies worldwide as assessed by FTSE Russell for overall ESG rating in 2020. Astro continues to fulfil its ESG commitments encompassing environmental responsibility, positive social impact and good governance with these initiatives:
o Continuous investment in our education initiatives to offer Tutor TV, TVIQ and TV
Pendidikan for 5mn students nationwide o Over 16,000 hours of Public Service Announcements yearly and discrediting fake news across TV, radio and digital platforms
o Complimentary viewing of selected channels during the various lockdowns o NJOI decoders and TV sets for COVID-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment
Centres nationwide to keep patients informed and entertained o Laptops for students at SK Magandai and SK Malinsau in Sabah; and SK Sungai Paku in Sarawak to make online education content accessible
Outlook
The operating environment remains challenging amid nationwide lockdowns, even as Malaysia rolls out its vaccination programme. Prolonged lockdowns may impact Astro’s revenue, in particular advertising and enterprise revenue.
“As we celebrate being 25 years young this year, we are revitalising our brand and powering ahead in our transformation journey that encompasses:
• our ambition to be Malaysia’s #1 aggregator of the best streaming services,
• enhancing local content by producing more premium Astro Originals,
• seizing opportunities for adjacencies in commerce, broadband and digital, and
• realisation of our reimagined business models and technology with the evolving ecosystem
We are set on our vision to be Malaysia’s #1 Entertainment Destination across all screens for everyone, whether individuals, homes or enterprises,” said Tan.
The Group will continue to cost optimise and actively manage its capital to further strengthen its balance sheet.