However, its revenue fell to RM921.12 million from RM1.06 billion previously.

The group said the recovery in consumer sentiment remained uneven due to inflationary pressures from heightened geopolitical events and global supply chain disruptions.

However, the rise in net profit was underpinned by cost discipline, it added.

The group said it had remained cash generative and proactive in its capital management and declared a second interim dividend of a sen per share.

Group CEO Henry Tan said the recent TV packages for the streaming world were attracting both new and existing customers, while the group enterprise business saw more food and beverage (F&B) outlets and hotel subscriptions, buoyed by the reopening of the economy.

He noted that over 670,000 homes were already on the Ultra and Ulti Boxes, which could run on both satellite and broadband while Astro GO had 524,000 monthly active users with an average weekly viewing time of over three hours.

On-demand shows streamed also grew 27% year-on-year (y-o-y) to 297 million and in the second quarter, Astro’s broadband base increased by 40% y-o-y as more customers bundled broadband with content for convenience and value.

Moving forward, Tan said, investments in Astro’s transformation plans were ongoing, focusing on content, broadband, streaming, customer experience, data, and addressable advertising.

“Macroeconomic conditions including rising interest rates, inflation, and the strength of the US dollar as well as global geopolitical events continue to affect households and businesses,” he added. “The group maintains a cautious outlook and will continue to monitor business conditions, while prudently managing costs,” he added.