Q3 2023: Continued growth in mobile postpaid and further improvement in financial trends

«Due to the inflation-related price increase and the focus on retaining value in the customer base, we restrained ourselves from making aggressive promotions. Nevertheless, we recorded solid mobile postpaid customer growth. The fact that this growth is not yet fully reflected in the financial results is related, among other things, to the customer-friendly inclusive services for roaming, which led to lower roaming revenue. Lower mobile-device sales also had an impact. At the same time, we have seen a stable trend in total revenue and a recovery trend in fixed-line revenue, supported by the price increase and higher fixed-line equipment revenues», comments André Krause, CEO of Sunrise, on the results. «Compared to the first half of the year, we see another improvement in financial trends and remain on track after nine months. Looking ahead, we expect much stronger commercial momentum in Q4, as headwinds from Q3 will disappear. Therefore, we confirm the full-year guidance for 2023 unchanged.»

Operating results

Sunrise continued to grow its mobile postpaid customer base in Q3 2023, with a net increase of +29,200 mobile postpaid1) subscriptions. The lower net growth in mobile postpaid compared to the same period of the previous year is primarily due to the reduced promotional activity for the main brand aimed at new customers. At the same time, innovations such as Flex Upgrade are increasing customer loyalty and the value of the existing customer base. Sunrise thereby continues to execute its strategy consistently, remaining focused on maintaining and increasing value in all areas.

The decrease of -7,400 broadband Internet subscriptions compared to the same period last year is also primarily related to reduced promotional activity, coupled with intensified competition for fewer customers during the summer months.

The inflation-related price adjustment for fixed-line and mobile postpaid subscriptions as of 1 July 2023 did not have a significant impact on either the gain or the loss of customers in Q3 2023. The overall impact on the customer base was fully in line with expectations.

As of the end of September 2023, there were a total of 2.839 million mobile RGUs (3.281 million including second SIM cards), 1.180 million Internet RGUs (1.248 million including SMEs) and 1.217 million TV RGUs (1.273 million including SMEs). FMC penetration reached 58%, an increase of +0.6% compared to the same period last year. Growth of the FMC rate continues to be driven by sales (upselling and cross-selling) of convergent products within the existing customer base.

Quality and innovation for further growth in all segments

With its main brand, Sunrise is focusing on the highest quality levels in all areas as well as innovative services that further increase growth and customer loyalty:

• In Q3 2023, Sunrise received several awards for quality: one for the best customer service, winning the 2023 connect landline hotline test once again; and one for the «outstanding» Internet that Sunrise offers its customers, according to the connect broadband test.
• With Flex Upgrade, Sunrise launched an innovative device-as-a-service offer, which provides the exclusive option of exchanging a device for a new one as often as desired and at no additional cost, or of having the new device repaired as often as desired at moderate cost in order to maximise its service life. In combination with the residual value of an old device (Buyback) and a 25% discount on the list price (Smart Upgrade), Sunrise offers the new iPhone 15 as a unique service package at the lowest monthly rates, and this is in high demand among customers.

For the flanker brands (yallo, Lebara, swype), the swype offering was further expanded. swype is the innovative carefree package with maximum cost control thanks to simple flat rates and the purely digital activation and deactivation of rates. As a result, swype is particularly popular with the young, price-conscious and digitally savvy generation, who can take advantage of a new monthly roaming flat rate for Switzerland and Europe as of Q3 2023 and enjoy surfing at 5G speeds on the largest 5G network in Switzerland. With its offer, as a full-service provider for price-conscious, digitally savvy customers who primarily want essential services, the yallo brand in particular also contributed to growth.  

Once again, Sunrise Business was able to agree numerous new contracts as well as contract renewals/upgrades: for example, the contract renewal with Touring Club Switzerland TCS, which obtains its mobile services from Sunrise Business. A contract with Swiss International Air Lines AG (for mobile services) was also renewed and a further example is the new business agreed with Kantonsspital Baden (a contract for the Cisco solution Unified Communication & Collaboration and the Sunrise Benefit Program for employees). Furthermore, Sunrise Business attracted considerable attention in the industry with its 5G proof-of-concept cases relating to MPN solutions (mobile private network) and provided groundbreaking insights into the potential of new technologies for innovation and transformation.

Financial results

In Q3 2023, revenue declined slightly to CHF 759.1 million (-0.8%) on a rebased basis compared to the same quarter last year. This decline is attributable to lower revenues in the Consumer Mobile segment (-2.3%). Here, lower revenues from the variable hardware business, roaming and value-added services were offset by growth in subscription revenue. In the Consumer Fixed segment, the YoY decline in revenue (-0.6%) was significantly lower compared to the previous quarter, underlining the YoY impact of the July price increase and the fading effect of rightpricing in the fixed-line customer base. The B2B segment had stable revenue YoY.

The individual business units contributed to the quarterly results as follows: Consumer Mobile CHF 312.0 million (-2.3% YoY on a rebased basis), Consumer Fixed (including Internet, TV, telephony and other services) CHF 292.1 million (-0.6% YoY on a rebased basis), B2B CHF 144.0 million (-0.2% YoY on a rebased basis) and other revenue CHF 11.0 million (+33.3% YoY on a rebased basis).

Segment Adjusted EBITDA2) decreased by -3.4% YoY in Q3 2023 on a rebased basis and reached CHF 274.9 million, including CHF 2.5 million of costs to capture3). The decrease in Segment Adjusted EBITDA2) on a rebased basis is mainly due to higher hardware and access costs in the fixed-line segment. These were partially offset by slightly lower operating costs (OPEX), although there were also higher costs for network maintenance and energy.

Adjusted EBITDA less P&E additions2)4) increased by +9.4% YoY on a rebased basis to a total of CHF 155.2 million in Q3 2023, including CHF 11.7 million of costs to capture. This was primarily due to lower capital expenditure (CAPEX) on a rebased basis because of lower costs to capture.

Sunrise continued to make high levels of investments, amounting to CHF 119.7 million (15.8% of revenue), in networks, product innovation and digital services, including CHF 9.2 million of costs to capture in P&E additions this quarter.

Three months
to 30 September 2023

Nine months
to 30 September 2023

In CHF million, exception % figures

On a rebased basis2)

On a rebased basis2)

Revenue

759.1

(0.8%)

2,239.8

(1.2%)

Consumer Mobile

312.0

(2.3%)

913.1

(1.0%)

Consumer Fixed

292.1

(0.6%)

859.1

(3.2%)

B2B

144.0

(0.2%)

425.7

1.2%

Other

11.0

33.3%

41.9

21.7%

Segment Adjusted EBITDA2)

274.9

(3.4%)

776.2

(4.3%)

Adjusted EBITDA less P&E additions 2)4)

155.2

9.4%

408.6

(1.4%)

Confirmation of FY 2023 financial guidance:

• Low single-digit decline in revenue
• Low to medium single-digit decline in Segment Adjusted EBITDA2) (including costs to capture3))
• Opex and Capex costs to capture3) ~CHF 50 million (~CHF 10 million in Opex)
• Property and equipment additions as a percentage of revenue (including costs to capture3)) 15–17%
• Adjusted FCF2): Between CHF 320–350 million (growth vs 2022)

The detailed financial results for Sunrise can be found in the UPC Holding Q3 2023 Fixed Income Release.

Acquisition of local partner cable networks

As of 1 July 2023, Sunrise acquired the local cable networks of RTB Regionale Technische Betriebe, GOO Genossenschaft Ortsnetz Ottenbach and AGBH Antenneneigentümer-Gemeinschaft Bruggwiesen-Hettlingen with a total of around 3,500 households connected. These households will now receive Sunrise services (including UPC and yallo products) from a single source, including unified support with the basic connection. This means customers will continue to benefit from the attractive Sunrise portfolio and any new offers that Sunrise launches.

Sunrise is the leading provider of broadband Internet in Switzerland and reaches the highest number of households with gigabit speeds in Switzerland. No other operator offers high-bandwidth Internet with speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s to so many households. The reason: with its own and its partner networks, Sunrise has a unique infrastructure mix of DSL/copper, HFC cable networks (hybrid fibre-coaxial), fibre-to-the-home and 5G.

Press Release (PDF)

Sunrise

Media Relations

media@sunrise.net

0800 333 000

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1) In line with LG’s definition.

2) The results on a rebased basis and aligned with the LG definitions are consistent with the results presented by the parent company. These non-GAAP figures are intended to supplement, and not replace, the U.S. GAAP figures contained in the financial statements of the parent company. The UPC Holding Q3 2023 Fixed Income Release should be consulted for any definitions and adjustments.

3) Costs to capture generally include incremental, third-party operating and capital costs directly related to integration activities, restructuring measures and certain other costs associated with aligning an acquired company with the business processes of the parent company to achieve synergies. These costs are necessary to align the operations of a business to be acquired (or a joint venture to be formed) with those of the parent company, or are associated with the acquisition. As a result, the costs to be recognized may include certain (i) operating costs included in Adjusted EBITDA, (ii) capital-related costs included in additions to property, plant and equipment and Adjusted EBITDA excluding additions to property, plant and equipment4), and (iii) certain integration-related restructuring costs that are not included in Adjusted EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA excluding additions to property, plant and equipment4). As the achievement of synergies occurs over time, certain costs to be recognized are recurring by nature and are generally incurred within a few years of the closing of the transaction.

4) Due to a comment by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission SEC, Liberty Global has changed its formerly used term «OFCF» to «Adjusted EBITDA less P&E additions» as of Q3 2021.