January 29, 2024 – United Group (UG) has used the opportunity of a constructive market backdrop to finalize a financing round of €1.73bn on the back of strong operational performance as evidenced by continued revenue and EBITDA growth. The proceeds will be used to repay the existing senior secured bonds due in 2026 and 2029, the existing Pay-If-You-Can PIK Notes due in 2025 and RCF drawings, effectively prolonging maturities of the refinanced 2025 and 2026 notes, reducing interest expense on the refinanced 2029 notes and further strengthening UG’s capital structure. 

 

Persistently high revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth (+32% and 28% CAGR respectively for 2015 - 2022), strong EBITDA margin levels, significant improvement in scale and geographic and business diversification and an improved currency mix in recent years, combined with the deleveraging transaction of TowerCo sale, have led to Rating Agencies confirming UG’s credit rating of B2 (stable) / B (positive) (Moody’s / S&P). The transaction was well received by the investor community resulting in significantly oversubscribed orderbooks.

 

 

About United Group

United Group is the leading multi-play telecoms and media provider in South East Europe, providing customers with a full range of telecommunications services. It has some of the broadest network coverages in the region and offers customers a distinctive selection of content, from local offerings to the best selection from across the globe. This important strategic step will allow the group to focus on continuing delivering the best telecommunications products to its customer base and maintaining its leading market positions.

 

 

For inquiries please contact:

 

office@united.group

 

 

9 June 2023, Sofia. — Vivacom, a leading telecommunications company, is excited to announce the addition of 20 high-definition (HD) TV channels to its EON platform. Starting this summer, EON users will have access to a diverse range of genres with exceptional picture quality.

 

The new channels include BNT 2 HD, Eurocom HD, Euronews Bulgaria HD, Viasat Explore HD, Viasat Nature HD, Viasat History HD, City TV HD, Balkanika HD, TLC HD, FilmBOX Stars HD, Bulgaria on Air HD, BG+ HD, BNT 4HD, SuperToons HD, Duck TV HD, NASA TV HD, Hit Mix HD, Planeta Folk HD, Box TV HD, and BG Music Channel HD. By introducing these channels, Vivacom aims to provide an enhanced viewing experience for its valued EON users.

 

An outstanding feature of this update is that all EON clients, regardless of their package (LIGHT, FULL, or PREMIUM), will receive access to the new channels at no additional cost. This benefit extends to all their EON screens, including the EON Smart Box, Smart TV App, and EON mobile application. Furthermore, each of the newly added channels will feature up to 7 days of TV archive, ensuring that users never miss their favorite shows.

 

Since its launch in the Bulgarian market two years ago, Vivacom has continuously invested in the development and enrichment of the EON platform. This commitment has allowed them to offer customers a vast selection of high-quality and diverse TV content. With over 210 channels, more than 200 channels offering up to 7 days of TV archive, and an impressive video library boasting over 15 thousand titles, EON provides a comprehensive entertainment experience. Additionally, EON users benefit from advanced features such as voice search, personalized content for up to 5 profiles, and a sports mode. The award-winning EON Smart Box further enhances the platform, transforming any TV into a smart TV with the ability to load games and apps.

 

Thanks to these continuous efforts, EON has become the preferred platform for families, now being an integral part of the daily lives of over 600,000 users in Bulgaria.

 

For more information about Vivacom and its offerings, please visit vivacom.bg.

  

About United Group:

Dutch-based United Group is the leading telecommunications and media operator in South-East Europe. Active in eight countries, the company has more than 15 million users and nearly 15,000 employees. It generates almost €2.7 billion in annual revenues. United Group has the widest network coverage in the region and offers users the most attractive selection of TV content from around the world. Significant investments in digital infrastructure, content and technology ensure the excellence of the products and services it provides to customers. United Group has been majority owned by BC Partners, one of the largest global investment companies, since March 2019. As of July 2020, Vivacom is part of the United Group. In Bulgaria, the group also includes Nova Broadcasting Group and Telegraf newspaper.

 

Vivacom’s consumer and business mobile voice subscribers are now above the 2-million threshold.

 

The results came only eight months after the company launched its brand new portfolio of Unlimited tariff plans for unlimited freedom of communication. Vivacom is revolutionising the telecom market providing subscribers with unlimited voice, internet and SMSs in all price segments.  The new Unlimited tariffs combined with the country''s biggest 5G network allow users to enjoy their favourite HD video content, perfect streaming, zero latency social network and internet surfing, and high-speed file download.

 

For the past two years, Vivacom has made significant investments, giving more than 82% of Bulgaria''s population access to its 5-generation network. This means that good and stable coverage with ultra-fast internet for work and entertainment, and stable connection quality with minimum jitter for data transfer are now available to 5.3 million people in Bulgaria. Recently, all these benefits became available to users via 5G Home Internet, Vivacom''s latest service, providing high-speed, secure, and reliable home internet combined with EON, the innovative TV service.

 

Vivacom’s leading position among Bulgaria''s three mobile operators has also contributed to the substantial increase in the number of subscribers. For the past year, Vivacom attracted the highest number of mobile users who decided to change their providers in portability process.

 

“The impressive results we have achieved in less than a year in terms of mobile subscribers demonstrates that the only way to growth in the telecom sector is to invest in innovation. This is our strategic priority. We will continue to develop our network and to offer the most attractive plans to our clients, allowing them to communicate freely anywhere, anytime and without any restrictions, at the best price, wherever they may be,” said Nikolai Andreev, CEO of Vivacom.

 

About United Group:

Dutch-based United Group (https://united.group) is a leading telecommunications and media operator in Southeast Europe. Active in eight countries, the company has more than 15 million users and nearly 15,000 employees. It generates approximately €2.5 billion in annual revenues. United Group has the widest network coverage in the region and offers users the most attractive selection of TV content from around the world. Significant investments in digital infrastructure, content and technology ensure the excellence of the products and services it provides to customers. United Group has been majority owned by BC Partners, one of the largest global investment companies, since March 2019.

  

Vivacom has been part of United Group since July 2020. In Bulgaria, the group also includes Nova Broadcasting Group and the Telegraph newspaper.

  

March 8th, 2023, Sofia. Vivacom, Bulgaria''s industry-leading communications services provider, has expanded its product portfolio by launching its latest service, 5G HOME NET. The service provides unlimited high-speed home internet via the telecom’s 5G mobile network. One of 5G HOME NET''s key benefits is that it is offered in combination with EON, the innovative television platform. All customers need to start using the service is a 5G router - a device that spreads the internet signal to all devices in the home, and which anyone can install easily and quickly, without any cables and without any help from a technical team.

  

Vivacom’s clients can choose between three packages: EON LIGHT, EON FULL, and EON PREMIUM, each of which includes free access to EON Smart TV App and the EON mobile app. To mark the launch of the service, Vivacom is making a special offer to its new clients, who can benefit from a BGN 1 monthly fee for the PREMIUM package valid for the first up to three months.

  

“5G HOME NET is a perfect addition to our product portfolio and an excellent solution for anyone who needs high-speed internet at home and television in areas without existing optical network or other connectivity options.  The new services utilizes the functionalities of the 5G network. Vivacom’s 5G network now covers nearly 80% of Bulgaria''s population. Thus, we can offer all our services with additional packages and functionalities of excellent quality - anytime, anywhere,” said Nikolai Andreev, CEO of Vivacom.  

  

 

21.09.2020 Sofia Today VIVACOM launches its 5G network. For the first time in Bulgaria the 5G network is now available to customers simultaneously in all 27 dustrict centers. Every customer of VIVACOM with compatible 5G terminal can test the new technology completely free untill the end of the year. In that period Vivacomgives 30 000 MB per month of mobile internet traffic at maximum speed in addition to their subsctiption data allowance to its existing and new customers, so that all can experience the benefits of 5G. The additional data allowance will be activated automatically for all subscribers, who have a compatible 5G device to our new 5G network. After Ookla¹ speed test award for being the fastest mobile network in Europe, Vivacom is moving customer experience to the new level by introducing the first 5G network in Bulgaria.

This is the first stage of the introduction of the new technology, which will provide coverage in the central urban areas of all regional centers. The new technology works simultaneously in the same frequency for both 4G and 5G. To achieve this, the company has used the method of dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS).

 

As a next step, VIVACOM will work to expand coverage and increase the 5G speed. The company will participate also in future tenders for a new frequency spectrum to ensure needed resources and continue to be the mobile operator of choice for citizens of Bulgaria.

 

The fifth generation network provides higher speed, lower latency and more connected devices.Users can benefit from data transfer with low latency, which is an important condition for the development of areas such as telemedicine, digital education, gaming, automated production and others.

  

Thanks to the higher capacity of the fifth generation network, customers get a more reliable connection, especially in places with high density of people. For the business customers and government institutions, this means much faster and better e-services, smart city and smart home solutions.

"The era of high-speed connectivity, which is introduced today in Bulgaria, will open the door to unexplored opportunities for innovation in all areas of life. As the leading telecommunications company, VIVACOM has a key role in ensuring this connectivity and associated services. The fifth generation network will facilitate the creation of new businesses, professions and business models and will be an important driver of the country growth. We will continue to invest in the development and introduction of the most modern technologies in order to maintain our leading position as the fastest mobile network in Europe¹ ", said Radoslav Zlatkov, Chief Technical Officer of VIVACOM.

 

Gradually, the company''s product portfolio will be enriched with more 5G devices from all the leading manufacturers.

More information about the 5G network - opportunities and conditions of use, you can see here: https://www.vivacom.bg/bg/5g

 

 

----

¹Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data Q1–Q2 2020. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission. Мore information about VIVACOM’s mobile network: www.vivacom.bg

31.07.2020, Sofia, Bulgaria: VIVACOM becomes part of the international telecoms and media company UNITED GROUP. The deal became a fact after in November 2019 UNITED GROUP was selected to acquire the largest telecom in total revenues on the Bulgarian market for the last 7 years (including 2019). This follows the approval of the deal by the European Commission in April 2020 and the acquisition was finalized on 31 July 2020. 

 

This acquisition marks the latest milestone in UNITED GROUP’s growth strategy, following the acquisition of TELE 2 Croatia earlier this year, as well as forthcoming completion of the acquisition of the Greece’s pay TV, telecom and Internet provider FORTHNET.  Operating in both the telecoms and media sectors, the UNITED GROUP platform combines the leading operators and best content producers in Southeast Europe and will finish the year with over 10 million users and over 11 thousand employees.

 

UNITED GROUP’s presence in Bulgaria will see a renewed commitment by the combined entity to drive development of the country’s telecommunications industry through further investments in talent, technology and infrastructure.

 

“For VIVACOM, joining the UNITED GROUP family is a huge opportunity to accelerate the excellent results achieved so far in the Bulgarian market. We have built a strong brand, synonymous with quality and innovation, and a modern company with over 5,000 loyal employees across the country. It is the right time to take the next step and we look forward to working and sharing our collective experience with UNITED GROUP to take our services in Bulgaria to the next level”, commented Atanas Dobrev, CEO of VIVACOM.

 

 “VIVACOM has achieved impressive results, not only as the largest telecom operator in Bulgaria, but also as a leader in innovation. This is the result of its strong management approach and professionalism across its workforce, and with the support and further investment from UNITED GROUP, VIVACOM’s growth potential in Bulgaria is significant", said VIVACOM Supervisory board director Spas Roussev.

 

UNITED GROUP CEO, Victoriya Boklag, added: “VIVACOM established its number one position in Bulgaria with excellent management, impressive financial results, technological advancements, and remarkable team collaboration. With a clear vision and strategy for the future, UNITED GROUP has acquired another market leader in the region and our combined talent, experience, and scale means we can provide the newest generation telco services and best international and local content to the market of 27 million people in Southeast Europe and our diaspora across the world.”

 

 

 

Nikos Stathopoulos, Partner at BC PARTNERS and Chairman of UNITED GROUP concluded: “Acquiring VIVACOM is an important milestone in driving the growth strategy of the UNITED GROUP platform as we seek to expand our geographical presence in Europe. The Bulgarian telecoms sector is a dynamic part of a vibrant economy, which will give us a strong foothold in a key strategic market.”

 

 

 

 About United Group

Based in Amsterdam, the United Group is the leading telecom & media operator in Southeast Europe. With major investments in digital infrastructure, original content, and technology, the Group provides leading services for users throughout the region. In the last 20 years, the Group successfully acquired over 100 businesses. Each year, the Group invests significant funds in infrastructure, technology, and media development. The United Group currently counts over 10.000 employees, providing services for over 9.3 million users.

For additional info, visit https://www.united.group

 

 

About BC Partners

BC Partners is the leading international investment company with over 23 billion euros invested in capital, credits, and real estate. Founded in 1986, BC Partners have been playing an active role in developing European markets for over three decades. Today, its management navigates market businesses as an integrated team from European and North American offices. Since its foundation, BC Partners Private Equity realized 114 investments in companies with a total value of over 145 billion euros.

For additional info, visit www.bcpartners.com

 

 

VIVACOM will donate equipment and fundsatthetotalamountofBGN 300 000 to three hospitals in Bulgaria to help the medical professionals fight COVID-19 and the Bulgarian society return faster to the standard way of working and living. The funds were raised in an initiative by which the company announced that it would donate the first monthly fees for all newly activated subscription services in April. Andforallservicesthathave beenactivatedonlineforthesameperiod, the Telecom undertakes to donate the amount of double the monthly fee.

 

The funds will be distributed between ‘Saint Anna’ University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment - Sofia, ‘Dr. Georgi Stranski’ University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment - Pleven and theMultiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment - Blagoevgrad.

 

A donation of the total amount of BGN 100 000 will be received by ‘Saint Anna’ University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment in the capital. A modern disinfection robot that moves autonomously and uses an innovative cleaning system ‘dryfog’ will be provided as part of it. It has the capacity to sterilize large rooms and can replace standard disinfection with formaldehyde products, providing protection against various types of viruses. The smart robot also uses a more environmentally friendly technology than conventional preparations, since the starting materials of its operation are mainly water vapor and oxygen, without toxic products. “The reliable disinfection is one of the absolutely necessary conditions for the fight against the COVID-19 virus, and in hospitals it is of primary importance to protect medical staff and provide more effective treatment for patients. The robot will be of great benefit to us because it will save human labor that can be used for more urgent activities. In addition, the technology is more effective than the currently used sterilization tools and will significantly facilitate our work, "said Dr. Slavcho Bliznakov - Director of the University Hospital.

 

Two hospitals in the country will also receive financial support. Plevenwasthefirstcityinourcountry to face the difficult battle with the new virus. ‘Dr. GeorgiStranski’UniversityMultiprofileHospitalforActiveTreatmentin the city will receive a donation of BGN 100 000 to help purchase medical supplies and equipment needed to cope with the epidemic. TheDirectorofthehealthinstitution – Assoc.Prof.Dr. TsvetanLukanovsaid: ‘Our hospital has been at the forefront in the fight againstCOVID-19 from the beginning. This is a long and exhausting work that our medical professionalsendurewith a lot of professionalism and selflessness.But we are running out of material resources and these funds will be of great use at this time’.

 

MultiprofileHospitalforActiveTreatment – BlagoevgradADwillalsoreceiveadonation of BGN 100 000. The money will be used for supplying the medical workers, fighting at the front line, with needed equipment. Dr. OgnyanStefanovMitevexplainedthatthefundswouldbeusedtosupplymedicalsuppliestohelpmedicalprofessionals. ‘Fightingthenewvirushasputourentirehealthsysteminanunexpectedsituationand, no matter how prepared we are andwhateverexpertswehave available, theduration of the epidemic exhausts our strength. With the donation, we will provide the necessary materials to healthcare professionals who are in direct combat withCOVID-19 and are fighting for the lives of patients we are treating here.’

 

 

TheinitiativetodonatethefirstmonthlyfeesforallnewservicesactivatedinAprilisjustoneofthestepsthatVIVACOMhas taken as part of its commitment to supporting the community and overcoming the epidemic more quickly. You can see all the activities of the Telecom, united under the motto#IStayHome, here:https://www.vivacom.bg/bg/home.

 

 

 

#IstayAtHome

  

VIVACOM and United Group donate BGN 900,000 to the Ministry of Health tofight COVID-19

The sum covers almost 1/5 of the wholefund of 5 million levs, which Ministry of health aims to gathering with DMS donation campaign

  

30.03.2020 Sofia VIVACOM and United Group donate BGN 900,000 to the Ministry of Health to help preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Bulgaria. The funds will be transferred to the donation account of the Ministry of Health, which was opened to support emergency hospitals. Several days ago, the ministry announced a donation campaign DMS SOLIDARNOST, which is aiming to gather 5 million levs. The sum, donated by VIVACOM and United group, covers almost 1/5 of the needed fund, which will be used for the most emergent needs of the hospitals in terms of the spreading COVID-19 infection.

The leading independent telecommunications and media service provider for Southeast Europe, United Group will make donations to fight the disease in all countries in which it operates in the total amount of USD 3 million, out of which USD 1.2 million is donated in cash and USD 1.8 million in medical equipment. The group’s countries of operations include Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia.   In November 2019, United Group has agreed the acquisition of VIVACOM for EUR 1.2 billion, pending regulatory approval, in what is viewed to be one of the biggest transactions in the region.  

„Together, we can help fight a pandemic that has drastically changed the lives of millions of people, curtailed personal contacts and struck the global economy. The donation will support the Bulgarian healthcare system, doctors and all healthcare professionals who are at the forefront of the fight against the virus.“ said Victoriya Boklag, CEO of United Group.

    

   

„VIVACOM and United Group are aware of the great responsibility they have to society at a time when we are facing an pandemic in a such scale. That is why we have decided to assist the Ministry of Health in their effort to provide the hospitals with everything needed to get this situation over control. I believe that it will be of benefit to the whole community and support medical staff who show unprecedented professionalism in this critical situation.“ said Atanas Dobrev, CEO of VIVACOM.

By the donation of BGN 900,000, VIVACOM and United Group will contribute to taking measures for management of the situation and sooner return to the normal way of living and working for the whole society.

  

 

More information about United Group:

The Amsterdam-based United Group is the leading independent provider of telecommunications and media services in Southeast Europe. Thanks to significant investments in digital infrastructure, content and proprietary technologies, the companyprovides market-leading customer services throughout the region. For the past 18 years, United Group has expanded its presence through both natural growth and acquisitions of other companies. It currently employs over 5,360employees and provides services to more than 1,800,000 households.

 

More information about VIVACOM:

VIVACOM is one of the leading technology companies in Bulgaria. It offers full portfolio of telecom services – fix and mobile voice services, high-speed mobile and broadband internet, payed TV services - IPTV and satellite TV, both for residential and corporate customers.  The company is also well known its innovative M2M solutions, as well as with its services for smart city, digital education, cloud and co-location, Internet of things. VIVACOM is socially responsible company, supporting causes related to education, culture and sport.

  

 

 

 

Dear customers,

  

In response to the nationwide COVID-19 emergency, we would like to inform you about the steps that VIVACOM has taken to protect its customers, employees and partners. To limit the spread of the virus, we encourage you to use our online communication channels, including our website and My VIVACOM mobile app instead of visiting our stores. You can also reach us by calling 23 if you are a VIVACOM mobile subscriber or 087 123 if you are a customer of another mobile network.

 

• Use My VIVACOM mobile application and our website to:
  • Pay monthly bills for all VIVACOM services
  • Add additional packages for minutes, megabytes and SMS
  • Reload prepaid cards

 

• Use our online store at www.vivacom.bg to take advantage of free shipping and:
  • Renew your mobile subscription plan
  • Purchase mobile phones on a contract or no-contract basis
  • Purchase a new mobile voice service from an existing VIVACOM subscriber

 

• Call us on 123 or 087 123 to:
  • Request new fixed television and internet services
  • Enable or disable additional TV content packages such as HBO, Max Sport, etc

 

• Use our website form at https://www.vivacom.bg/en/residential/kontakti to:
  • Report any issues you experience when using our products or services

 

 

Our stores (with the exception of shopping mall branches) remain open and the premises are being regularly disinfected. In order to prevent crowding, the number of customers that is allowed into a store at any given time is limited. You can view our store opening times here.

 

Second large-scale acquisition within nine months of BC Partners’ ownership Consolidates United Group’s position as the leading telecoms and media operator in South Eastern Europe

 

Amsterdam and London, 7 November 2019: United Group, the leading telecoms and media business operating in South Eastern Europe, has agreed to acquire Vivacom, the largest telecoms operator in Bulgaria.

This acquisition marks the second transaction since New York and London headquartered investment firm BC Partners’ March 2019 acquisition of United Group, in what was one of the largest ever transactions for the region. The acquisition will accelerate United Group’s growth, expand its geographic reach and cement its position as the industry leader in the region. United Group already operates in six countries in the region.

 

Vivacom provides services to over 1.8 million unique customers. The company was the first telecommunications company in Bulgaria and today provides advanced services including fibre broadband, mobile communications and digital TV to private and commercial customers.

  

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020, subject to conditions including receipt of applicable antitrust approvals. The acquisition will be financed through a combination of new debt and cash on hand at United Group.

  

Victoriya Boklag, CEO of United Group, said, “Vivacom is a well-run company with strong management and I am excited at the opportunities we have to build an even stronger business. Bulgaria is an attractive market and this acquisition will enable us to diversify the Group further. United Group has a great track record in acquiring and successfully integrating businesses, with more than 100 acquisitions since our inception.”

 

Nikos Stathopoulos, Partner at BC Partners commented, “When we invested in United Group, we identified its business model, technology and regional leadership as key drivers for organic growth, accelerated by acquiring and integrating local companies. With Vivacom, we are pleased to acquire a dynamic telecom operator in a vibrant economy and a growing market that enables us to expand our geographic reach across Europe.”

 

Spas Roussev, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Vivacom said “This transaction is a great success and a great opportunity for Vivacom, its clients, and more generally for Bulgaria. Thanks to great efforts of all, Vivacom has become one of the most successful European telecom companies. It now welcomes as new shareholders one of the most successful global investors with significant presence in Europe and North-America, BC Partners. Vivacom will play a big role in the future development of United Group, their leading regional telecom and media platform.”

 

Lazard acted as financial advisor to the seller and CMS acted as legal advisor. Citigroup, JP Morgan and LionTree acted as financial advisors to United Group and Paul Weiss acted as legal advisor.

 

 

ENDS

 

 

Note to Editors

 

About United Group

Headquartered in Amsterdam, United Group is the leading independent telecoms and media provider across South Eastern Europe. Through significant investments in digital infrastructure, content and proprietary technology, it provides market-leading services to its customers across the region. Over the past 18 years the Group has expanded its presence through both organic growth and acquisitions, now employing over 4,400 staff and providing services to over 1.8 million homes.

 

About BC Partners

BC Partners is a leading international investment firm with over €22 billion of assets under management in private equity, private credit and real estate. Established in 1986, BC Partners has played an active role in developing the European buy-out market for three decades. Today, BC Partners executives operate across markets as an integrated team through the firm's offices in Europe and North America.

Since inception, BC Partners Private Equity has completed 112 private equity investments in companies with a total enterprise value of over €143 billion and is currently investing its tenth private equity fund. For more information, please visit www.bcpartners.com.

 

About Vivacom

Bulgarian Telecommunications Company, operating under the brand name VIVACOM, is the largest integrated telecommunications company in Bulgaria. It offers voice services, high-speed mobile and fixed broadband, interactive and satellite TV to 1.8 million unique customers. For more information, please visit www.vivacom.bg.

 

 

Media contacts:

BC Partners

Pro-bcpartnersuk@prosek.com

+44 (0)20 8323 0475

 

 

8th of August, Sofia.

 

VIVACOM`s mobile network has the best coverage in the country. The results are based on analysis by Ookla, of  Speedtest Intelligencefor the first half of 2019[1].

 

VIVACOMmakes the highest result, compared with the tests of the other mobile networks, made by consumers with Speedtest®application by Ookla all over the country.

  

The analysis of the gathered data from different locations in Bulagaria is made according to Ookla methodology. To win the award, VIVACOM achieved the highest Coverage Score™ , which combines both – the number of the locations, covered by an operator as well as the overall availability of service that it offers.

 

More information for the methodology is available here: https://www.speedtest.net/awards/methodology#coverage

 

https://www.speedtest.net/awards/bulgaria/

 

---

[1]The measurement of the territory coverage is based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data for Q1–Q2 2019 and according to Ookla® methodology. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission. More information at: www.vivacom.bg

 

     For sixth consecutive year, VIVACOM is the number one operator in total revenue on the Bulgarian market – BGN 948 million for 2018;

     VIVACOM is again the leading IPTV operator;

     VIVACOM is the leader in providing fixed broadband;

 

29.05.2019, Sofia For sixth consecutive year, VIVACOM maintains its leadership positionon the Bulgarian telecom market with total revenue of BGN 948 million at the end of 2018, which is a growth of 6.6% compared to 2017. The telecom also reports steady Adjusted EBITDA growth of 12.8% to a total of BGN 359.8 million, while capital expenditures increase by 3.6% – to BGN 187.5 million. This was announced by VIVACOM’s Chief Executive Officer Atanas Dobrev at the Integrated Annual Report presentation of the telecom. The event was held in the context of the tenth anniversary of VIVACOM. There are clear evidence that over the past ten years the corporation has established itself permanently on the Bulgarian market as an operator with extremely wide range of telecommunication solutions for private and business customers – mobile and fixed voice services, fiber-optic broadband, Satellite and Interactive TV (IPTV) of the latest generation, as well as individual solutions for the needs of corporate customers.

 

VIVACOM''s leadership position is also supported by the data for the first quarter of this year. Total revenue for the period January – March 2019 is BGN 235.2 million. Compared to the same period last year, the company achieves a growth of 5.5%. Despite the highly competitive market, VIVACOM continues to accomplish Adjusted EBITDA growth of 30.5%[1] – to BGN 112.5 million.

 

This year, once again, following the best European and global reporting and transparency practices, VIVACOM reported its financial results and non-financial KPIs in an Integrated Annual Report which also provides a comprehensive picture of the company''s performance in the past 2018.

 

For a consecutive year, VIVACOM remains the most preferred provider of Interactive television (IPTV). VIVACOM is positioned as the leading IPTV operator with a market share of 50%[2] at the end of 2018. Subscribers of pay-TV services have increased with 4.7% to 468,000 compared to 447,000 in 2017. This is due to the increased demand for high-quality interactive services with rich content that meets customers’ needs.

 

VIVACOM retains its position as a leader in the market’s fixed broadband segment. The total number of fixed broadband subscribers has increased with 2.8% to 444,000 compared to 432,000 in 2017. The growth is driven by the increase in the number of fiber-optic customers driven by the rising demand for high-speed capacity and reliable broadband service, provided by the company.

 

By the end of 2018 VIVACOM reports 3,071,000 mobile customers while mobile service revenue market share reaches 30%, supported by average revenue per user (ARPU) growth up to BGN 12.90 for the fourth quarter of 2018 and respectively to BGN 13.20 for the period January – March 2019.

 

VIVACOM provides 99.25% of population coverage[3] with 4G technology which enables high-speed connection through mobile network. The telecom reaffirms its position of the operator with fastest mobile network[4] in the country, measured by OOKLA for 2018.

 

The Integrated Annual Report presented by Atanas Dobrev also includes an analysis of the added value which the telecom contributes to society as one of the largest employers and serious corporate donors.

2018 Integrated Annual Report can be found at www.vivacom.bg/doklad2018

2018 in numbers

	For the year ended December 31,		Change
BGN thousands, except percentages	2018	2017	(amount)	(%)
Revenue	948	890	58.5	6.6
Adjusted EBITDA	360	319	40.8	12.8
% Adjusted EBITDA Margin	37.9	35.9	2.1	5.8
Number of mobile subscribers at period end	3 071	3 133	(62.4)	(2.0)
% post-paid at period end	88.8	88.9	(0.1)	(0.1)
Fixed broadband subscribers at period end	444	432	11.9	2.8
% FTTx at period end	65.3	59.8	5.4	9.1
Number of fiber homes passed at period end	1 182	1 128	53.2	4.7
Fixed pay-TV subscribers at period end	468	447	21.2	4.7
% IPTV at period end	49.2	45.6	3.5	7.7

Note: Financial results for 2018 and Q1 2019 are presented following application of IFRS 15 and 16.

   

[1]12.7% on comparable basis before applying IFRS 15 and 16

[2] Source: Analysys Mason

[3] The measurement of 4G technology population coverage is made by Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) on their methodology in the period 15.10 to 15.11.2018.

[4] According to Ookla® analysis based on Speedtest Intelligence® data from tests made on the territory of Bulgaria in the third quarter of 2018 for average download speeds in the mobile network. Ookla trademarks are being used with permission.