Cable giant Comcast Corp. said Wednesday its first quarter net income rose 3.6% from a year ago due to revenue gains at its cable service and NBCUniversal units.
Net income totaled $2.13 billion vs. $2.06 billion a year ago. Adjusted earnings per share of 84 cents, which was 6.3% higher than a year ago, beat the estimate of 79 cents from analysts who were polled by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Its cable communications revenue, which includes its Internet, TV and phone service, increased 6.7% to $12,2 billion.
Its total “customer relationships” rose 36%, or by 269,000. The number of video customers was up by 53,000, its best first quarter result in nine years as more signed up for its new set-top box system, X1.
Total revenue per customer relationship was also higher, up 4%.
Revenue at NBCUniversal, which includes the broadcast TV network, other cable networks and Universal Studios, rose 3.9% to $6.9 billion.
Theme parks revenue jumped 57.5% to $1 billion as Universal Studios in Hollywood and Japan added new attractions.
Company-wide revenue rose 5.2% to $18.8 billion. Analysts estimated $18.6 billion.
Comcast is in talks to buy film studio DreamWorks Animation for more than $3 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News Tuesday.
