BSkyB acquires Telefónica’s UK broadband
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BSkyB acquires Telefónica’s UK broadband

British Sky Broadcasting is to spend £180 million on the acquisition of Telefónica’s UK broadband division.

The purchase comes less than a month after rival Virgin Media was bought for $23 billion, and is expected to make BSkyB the second-largest broadband provider in the UK.

The deal also includes O2’s fixed-lined telephone business and a further £20 million could potentially be payable if Telefónica’s customer migration is successfully executed.

“From a standing start in 2006, we have added more than 4.2 million broadband customers,” said Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of BSkyB.

“The acquisition of Telefónica UK’s consumer broadband and fixed-line telephony business will help us accelerate this growth.”

The deal is expected to greatly benefit Telefónica following a reported 27.3% drop in full-year net profit for 2012. 

Telefónica Deutschland also reported a slow in revenue growth earlier this week.

“As we focus on delivering best-in-class mobile connectivity, including next-generation (4G) services, we believe this agreement is the best way of helping our customers get the highest quality home broadband experience from a leading organisation in the market,” said Ronan Dunne, chief executive of Telefónica UK.

The acquisition is due for completion at the end of April, subject to regulatory clearance.


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