Tele Columbus, the German network operator marketing its services under the PŸUR brand, has announced a continuing decrease in its television customer base and related income during the first half of 2025. This reinforces the structural difficulties faced by its traditional TV operations.
By the end of the second quarter, the company reported approximately 1.1 million TV subscribers, representing a 9,000-customer decrease compared to the previous quarter and a 3% year-on-year decline. This breakdown reveals a 6,000 reduction in single-user contracts to 855,000 and a 4,000 drop in premium TV subscriptions. The operator attributes this downturn to slightly reduced bundle penetration within its triple-play packages.
The negative customer trend directly impacted revenue. TV income decreased by €27.6 million (32.6% year-on-year) to €57.2 million in the first half of 2025, though it remained relatively stable quarter-on-quarter at €28.3 million. This decline overshadowed positive results from the company's internet and telephony divisions, where revenue increased by €16.7 million (+16.8% YoY) due to strong demand for high-speed broadband. Overall group revenue experienced a 5.4% year-on-year decrease, reaching €210.6 million for the six-month period. Normalised EBITDA fell by 8.7% to €84.9 million, while reported EBITDA dropped by 10.3% to €60.2 million, impacted by lower sales, increased personnel costs, and restructuring expenses.
In response, Tele Columbus has implemented cost-cutting measures, reducing investment by approximately 20% to €74.8 million, with the majority of spending still focused on fiber network expansion. Notably, around 80% of new broadband customers in Q2 opted for plans offering 250Mbps or faster speeds, highlighting the growing consumer preference for data services over traditional TV.