News Corp. (NWSA), a diversified global media company, recently subscribed to over 49 million new registered shares of Sky Deutschland, a German pay-TV provider, at a price of €2.25 ($3.24) per share for an aggregate cost of €110 million ($143.9 million).
 
News Corp. subscribed to the shares through its subsidiary News Adelaide Holdings B.V. With the deal, the media company would increase its stake in Sky Deutschland from 39.96% to 45.42%. News Corp. currently operates in eight industry segments: filmed entertainment; television; cable network programming; direct broadcast satellite television; integrated marketing services; newspapers and information services; book publishing; and other. 
 
Sky Deutschland will utilize the bulk of the proceeds to intensify its marketing and sales initiatives, and increase the roll out of its high-definition service, programming and new channels in mid-2010. Upon the registration of the new shares, the total number of Sky Deutschland’s shares will increase from 490.1 million shares to 539.2 million.
 
Sky Deutschland also narrowed down its 2009 guidance for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to a loss of €255 million and €265 million, from a previous loss range of €250 million and €270 million. The net growth in customers is expected to vary between 40,000 and 60,000, and the total subscriber base is expected between 2.47 million to 2.50 million at year-end 2009.
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